Long way to happy
by pinsel90
Summary: Survival in the Enchanted Forest wasn't easy but Emma Swan knew how to achieve this easily. The thing is, sometimes survival isn't enough, because if you want something you have to risk something. And sometimes it even means to team up with pirates you usually hunt. (Mostly Captain Swan; Warning: AU & (of course) OC! Give it a try. Love comments. :)) Don't own Ouat/its characters.
1. Prologe

Prologe

The night was as dark as you could barely see anything except for what the moon enlightened with his mesmerizing shine. A cold breeze rushed across the land and set the lush grass and the heavy branches of trees and bushes into motion. The rustling of it was everything to be heard besides the distant sound of the ocean's water, that streamed against the coast.

An owl sang through the nocturnal silence and he winced back. He looked into the direction from where he suspected it to have come from like a frightened deer and waited for a long moment. Even though he already understood that it had been nothing more but an owl that had surprised him, he only dared to release a breath and move again, when he had checked on everything around him and had noticed that nobody was there.

He hurried up the hill, that parted the ocean from the place he wanted to reach unnoticed and as fast as possible. He couldn't be caught or everything would be over. No matter which path he would chose he couldn't let anything go wrong tonight. There was too much at stake for himself.

He had been insane for teaming up with her in the first place. He should have never entered her castle, should have never met her. But everything had went wrong. Things had turned out the way they were now and he couldn't change the past anymore. And God knew, he had wished he could a lot of times before. And still he didn't know which path to take yet. He didn't know if he should risk his life more than he would through this or if he should take the easy route.

He had received information and now he didn't know what to do with it. Actually he didn't care at all but there was still this small little voice that questioned his task. He didn't know if he would ever be able to shut it down once he would make his choice. It might hound him for the rest of his life. Could he really need more ghosts to hound him?

No matter which path he would chose he would hurt people and he would destroy wishes and hopes. He would spread fear and worries. A lot of tears would be shed. Maybe they would even lose hope and maybe they would despair. But that was something he had to accept for purchase. It was something he would have to load on his conscience and live with it.

He passed rocks reaching through the knee high grass and stopped in front of a road. To sneak into the castle would be tough not just because of his qualms caused by his conscience and his fear of living with this decision, but because it was guarded well ever since Regina had shown up on their marriage and had declared endless suffering to the entire Enchanted Forest.

She really was an awful person. Sometimes he even questioned if she had a soul at all. He questioned if she even was human or just a monster. But then he understood that there was nothing in the world that could be worse than a human with a goal. A human who would do everything to reach that goal. Who would ignore other people's wishes and feelings. Who wanted to reach happiness as badly as he didn't care for others' anymore.

Sometimes he wondered what had happened to her. What on earth had happened between Snow White and her that she was as ruthless? Had Regina always been like this? Had she always been an evil witch? Had she always been this thirsty for blood? Had she always been so full of hate and darkness? But if not, what had changed her so badly? Maybe her evil mother? Oh yes, Cora really was a huge peace of work.

He tightened his cloak and ran along the castle's wall always staying in it's shadow. There was a way inside besides the main gate. He had noticed it when he had watched the castle. When he had come here he had noticed the small gate at the back that lead to the ocean. It was the entrance for the fishermen, so they could leave for fishing early in the morning without waking anybody. He had watched them use it for the past days, sitting in taverns or strolling across their market right in their middle and now all he needed to do was to find it without catching anybody's attention.

He looked up at the wall beside him. Not even a single light was burning. Most of the people in there had to be asleep. But that didn't mean, that there weren't any guards. He sighed and looked out to the sea. The moonlight played across the water's surface, so it seemed to be sparkling like a crystal. He bit his bottom lip and looked at the wall again.

He froze for a second.

Then he rushed further until he reached the cliff. There was hardly any space between the wall and the cliff, but he managed to stand between it anyway. The moonlight shone at this spot and created a huge shadow in the shape of his body. There was something wrong with the shape of the bricks at this spot. That the moonlight shone at it like this, felt just as if the moon agreed with his decision and wanted to help him. It was encouraging and strange.

He searched the wall until a brick moved underneath his fingertips as easy as if he had pushed it with the weight of his entire body. The bricks started to glow a little. It was a yellow light, that enlightened his hands but didn't blind him. It didn't even win against the moonlight. Then the brick wall with the different stones seemed to melt into one huge stone that turned into wood without losing its structure and opened into the castle.

He stood in front of the opened door and stared at it in surprise. If he wasn't mistaken then he had just touched magic. This spot of the wall must have been cursed or something like that. It didn't matter. Now he had found the secret door that he had noticed the other day. It was exactly the same.

He sneaked inside the castle and hide behind a column that carried the wall passage above. He waited for a moment and when nobody was to be seen he rushed up to the castle. He entered it through the kitchen door through which usually only the maidens and butlers went and avoided people and children running around in there. Nobody seemed to notice him at all. They were too caught up in cleaning the kitchen or were already sleeping, when he sneaked through the room every time he felt save to do it.

The way through the halls was easy, too. Once he had taken off his cloak to carry it along like a blanket, nobody questioned him or his presence. Nobody wondered who he was or what he was doing there. It was completely different from what he knew of castles. Compared to Regina's place it was amazing. He felt free and secure, while at Regina's castle he always felt watched and tested. There he couldn't trust anybody, because nobody trusted anybody, but here seemed to be love in the air. It wasn't always the love between man and woman or parents and children, but the love of true friends and companionship that wasn't bound to deals and agreements. It was impressing and he felt more than ever that he was missing something.

He took the shortest route and stopped in a hall with three doors. Even though there was now carpet or any pictures at the walls like in the rest of the castle, the stony room felt warm and seemed to be enlightened in warm colors.

He took a deep breath and rushed to the doors. One room was an empty bedroom, the second he couldn't open, because he heard voices coming from inside. He stopped in front of the last one and hesitated before he opened it.

He put on his cloak again and walked up to the baby grip as if he was pulled towards it by something he couldn't understand. He felt bewitched as he walked up to it and looked down at the small creature inside it.

He pulled away the blanket and looked into green eyes and a smiling face.

Guilt laced his throat until he could barely breathe anymore. This wasn't the time to think of her mother or her father. This was the time to focus on his plan and how he wanted things to turn out. He could only pray that he wouldn't be the only one to keep his word. He could only hope that this wouldn't be for nothing.

But he knew that he had to do this or this little girl here would die very soon. There was no way that Regina would leave her alone and allow Snow White and Charming to be a happy family. She would hunt them down, she would never stop and she would never leave them alone. If she would get a hold of this girl or even get a chance to, she would definitely kill her, because Regina was evil no matter what had turned her into this.

And yet there still had been moments in which he had seen better sides of her. When she had been with her father, she had been different. She had been softer and kinder. She had even cried, but only around him. And at the same time she had requested the murder of her mother. She had ordered to reap out her heart to use this stupid curse she had found to get her revenge. And that had been the moment he had been forced to understand that no matter what would happen, she would always chose her vengeance.

He took the baby into his arms and lost himself in her eyes for a moment. Then he walked up to the balcony, opened the door and swung his legs across the parapet. The air was cold and he hesitated. But that wasn't what made him freeze on the spot.

There was a sound from outside. Somebody was coming.

He looked back to the door as it was pushed open and stared at her parents. This didn't work the way he had wanted it to at all.

Charming stood in the door and pulled his sword, "stop!"

He swallowed hard, collected every bit of bravery he had in his body, glanced at her parents who stormed towards them, looked at the baby in his arms and jumped.

Her parent's screams hunted him even across the noise of the wind in his ears and the ocean all around the castle and even before they were safe and sound, he knew that the screams of the baby's parents would hunt them for a very long time.


	2. A town filled with enemies

1\. A town filled with enemies

"Hey, who are ya?"

She turned around in her improvised bedding of leaves and her coat ignoring the rude voice talking to her. She did not even need to check, if she was the one being addressed with these words. She was the only person lying on the ground in the middle of the street. Actually she was surprised the question had not been "what are you doing there" instead of "who are ya", since it would have been the first thing to ask, if it had been up to her in this kind of situation. Maybe that guy was not that smart. Well, that could be of advantage for her, since it would make her task a lot easier. On the other hand, you never knew how such an idiot would react, if he had to face real trouble. Sometimes those idiots really could be dumb enough to bring not just themselves in danger but others as well, because they never considered the consequences of their stupid ideas. Some people might call it creativity, but usually it was just foolishness.

He proofed her right, when he decided to kick her when she did not answer him, which did not just make her angry but dangerous for him on top. His foot hit her kidneys and caused a momentum of pain running up her back.

She breathed in heavily to show that it had hurt, while he repeated his question. As dumb as he was, it was a good decision to keep him safe and calm, to make him believe he had the upper hand in this. Maybe he would not freak out so much if he believed that. It would not be the first time this would help her to do her job.

"Are you already dead", he asked and laughed at someone standing behind him. Another proof for her idiot-theory. Asking such a question was useless, since a smart person would never ask something like that, if he believed, the questioned one was still alive. And if he believed he was dead, it would be useless, since the dead usually did not answer any questions at all.

The problem was the person standing somewhere near him. Since she was lying with her back to them, there was no way to see them. She could not find out who it was or if he was actually dangerous or not.

"Let's throw him aside and carry on, Tappert", the stranger said a little annoyed. Fear was shaking his voice like somebody mixing a drink.

Another fool? She could not be sure of it. However, she knew what she would do as soon as her plan would start to work out. She had planned everything. But you never knew if such a plan would work out the way it been intended in the end, since the other party could change everything through his pure reaction and his intelligence quotient. She sighed inwardly. Usually her plans did not work out and most of the times she ended up in real danger because of it.

"No", her victim said just according to the things she had heard about him in the first place, "that would be boring. Let's have a little fun."

"I don't know, Tappert", the other man said, "we've got clear orders. Playing around would take too much time."

But Tappert obviously did not want to listen to his friend. Emma almost heard the fabric of his trousers move, when she noticed his movements through his shadow in front of her. He was going to kick her back again. When he pulled his right leg back, she simply rolled against his left one and disturbed his balance. He fell over her without making any sound. Maybe it was because he was too surprised to have his victim actually fighting back. She did not care and she did not have the time to.

Still lying on the ground she used the ten seconds of shock the two men shared to turn on her back and jump to her feet. As soon as her head left the ground, a bulletin hit the spot she had been lying at and send peaces of earth flying through the air.

Emma stepped on Tappert's right wrist to stop him from reaching for his own gun while she watched his friend throwing his gun away. She pulled a knife out of her belt and threw it at him before he was able to reach his own one. It hit his right arm and slid under his skin like in butter. He screamed and fell to his knees while trying to pull it out again.

In the meantime, Tappert had used his left hand to reach his own knife and cut her lower leg. Emma stumbled back and ignored the pain that was spreading from her wound through her whole body. She was lucky he had only cut her instead of stabbing her.

Emma kicked the knife out of his hand and punched him in the face. It was hard enough to knock him out. After that, she ran over to his friend. He had gotten back to his feet, but he had been too slow to draw his sword. Instead of using it, he used his fist to welcome her.

It took Emma a painful moment to see anything again. The pain was rushing through her head, tears shot into her eyes and if she was not mistaken, the warm thing on her nose was her own blood. This was not even, close to what she had planned in the first place. She did not like it. And it became worse.

The next punch hit her stomach as hard as she stumbled back to their carriage. His hands ended up at her neck when he was about to choke her. Emma's vision cleared again and instead of trying to stop him, she took an as deep breath as possible, held it and rammed her thumbs into his eyes. He screamed in pain and his grip around her neck loosened a little, but she was still missing breath. Therefore, she reached behind her head praying to god she would find something useful. She grabbed something that felt suspiciously like a bottle and pushed it as hard at his head as its glass broke. The man let go of her, stumbled back and fell to his knees, before he collapsed on the ground just as Tappert had before.

Emma steadied herself at the carriage, holding her neck where he had squeezed it before. She pulled the air greedy into her hurting lungs and ignored the stabbing pain this caused in her neck. Her gaze wandered to the donkey that was bound to the carriage and chewed grass just like nothing had happened at all. To her feet surrounding her was laying broken glass from the bottle she had used before. It smelled of rum. Pirates.

* * *

It was disappointing. After all the work she had had with catching them, getting them on their own carriage and after being hurt like she had been in the process - not to mention all the trouble she had had with that stupid donkey, but nobody usually used to appreciate something like that as it seemed - she hadn't just lost a knife, but hadn't been rewarded correctly. No, the guards had lowered her win through specious reasons like "they are hurt" and "we can't ask them anything now for at least four hours and have to mend their wounds". Emma snorted. The text on the wanted posters had been "dead or alive" and not "healthy and conscious". It was disgusting that they would simply belittle her work and all the troubles she had had with them for being a woman. She was certain that this was the actual reason for their reaction besides saving money for themselves. It had happened before and she already knew it would happen again.

However, she had accepted the prize of what she would have earned for one of them for both together, when they had come up with what her own head was worth even after being set free again for so many years already. She knew they would just come up with a story to explain arresting her to collect her old bounty. It was better to be free with a bit money in her hands, than being imprisoned for stealing like a magpie. In addition, she had been able to empty Tappert's and his friend's pockets before she had delivered them to the guards.

In the end, she had been lucky that stranger, who had been traveling with Tappert and had almost killed her, had been wanted at all. If not she would not just have earned even less, but she would have had to find a solution for him as well. Not to mention that she would have had to question herself for it. He had nearly killed her after all and as far as she was concerned, he deserved his bounty for that alone.

Emma stopped in front of a wall further down the market. There were hanging the latest wanted posters, but as far as she was able to judge, there were not any new ones. Some of the men and women had just committed enough crimes to increase their bounties. It was disappointing that the one person she was looking for had not been on any wanted posters for at least two months. It was annoying.

"Interested", a woman to her left asked curious and mirrored her position in front of the wanted posters.

Emma needed a moment to decide if she would answer at all, "why do you ask? Could I find you here between all those pictures if I kept checking on them?"

"I doubt that", the woman said and checked the faces starring down on them from the posters, "I've never been part of this and I'm not planning to in the future."

Emma rolled her eyes and faced her. She was strange. Even though she was dressed like an ordinary woman what suited her well, everything she was wearing was of an almost sparkling pink. Had she believed her possibly to be another bounty hunter she was proofed wrong now.

Emma frowned, "who are you?"

The woman smiled at her friendly, "my name is Nova. I'm a fairy."

"Don't get me wrong", she said slowly and stepped back like she had just told her to be a disgusting troll, "but you're not really looking like a… a…"

"Fairy", Nova finished her sentence for her and smiled in an understanding way, "that's because you wouldn't have listened to me for even one second if I would."

The fairy noticed the bruise in Emma's face where the pirate had hit her, the fingerprints in her neck where he had tried to throttle her and the cut at her left leg, "seems like you really do need my help, don't you think?"

"No", Emma said in an deciding way, turned on her heels and stumbled away from her like she had just ended their conversation, ignoring the stabbing pain in her leg. She would need to clean the wound soon, since it was dirty enough for two men and the dirt could cause an infection, which she did not need at all.

"Oh come on", Nova said almost begging and followed her anyway, "you are my first person in need. You have no idea what it took me finally to be allowed to help people at all. Please do not let me down now. Please give me a chance."

"Shouldn't you be the one to support others and not the other way around?"

"If you let me, I'll do it."

Emma stopped as suddenly as the fairy almost stumbled into her, "wait. I'd be your first…client?"

"Yes", Nova answered her nervously.

"And you are a fairy", Emma stated rhetorically.

Nova was nervous as she answered anyway, "yes."

Emma sighed before she almost burst into laughter, "that explains everything."

"Em… what exactly", the fairy asked confused.

"Nova, fairies only help "good" people, don't they?"

"Yes only the good ones", she agreed not noticing the trap she was hopping in at all.

"Well", Emma continued, "I'm not."

"What?"

"Good", she said and rolled her eyes.

"Why do you think that", Nova asked and stared at her like she was surprised and worried for her, which was quite surprising for Emma, who had expected her to react differently. She had expected her to simply disappear again or, since she was a fairy, to burst into tears for being wrong with her first attempt to help someone or at least to apologize for it for several times. Nevertheless, this was just as if the fairy was trying to study her. Well, she was not a project and she did not want to be analyzed by a fairy that was just starting to help others. She did not want to be a project for a newbie.

Moreover, for sure she did not want to spread her whole life's story to a fairy, just to explain why she was the wrong person to be addressed by a fairy, who did not even know how to do her job. And she didn't want to tell her how she had grown up on the streets without any family, being an orphan, always lonely, sometimes confused and most of the time stealing in order to survive a life, she had to remind herself that it was worth it over and over again.

What did she know? She had been a fairy for at least the past twenty-seven years and she had never had to live like that. She had had someone to care for her and to allow her to grow up as an ordinary little girl surrounded by flowers, unicorns and rainbows.

"I'm a thief", Emma stated dryly and kept on walking already expecting her to follow her anyway.

She was proofed right, "you're a bounty hunter. There is a huge difference, you know? And even if it wasn't like that, not everyone, who steals isn't worthy a fairies help. Sometimes it's needed anyway or exactly because of that."

Emma stopped again and sighed annoyed.

"And I'm willing to do anything it takes to earn a bounty even if it means to kill", she added coldly to finally get rid of her.

Nova stared at her for a second. She seemed to be shocked. Good. Then she would leave her alone again soon.

"No you're not", the fairy said slowly, just as she wanted to leave her behind once more, "you wouldn't kill if it wasn't necessary to protect somebody else."

Emma looked at her skeptically before her gaze turned into something quite telling, "well, I know someone who'd really be worth to be killed and I'd gladly do it myself even though it would just be for my own benefit."

The fairy froze for a second perfectly aware of what Emma was implying. She seemed to be as scared as a small rabbit facing a hungry wildcat in a burned down forest. She swallowed hard and her face turned back from pale to usual rouge slowly. She did not give up even though her voice was shaking heavily, "you need me."

"For what", Emma asked skeptically, and surprised before she could even stop herself, even though she was feeling a little sorry for that fairy now.

"To protect you."

She examined her from head to toe noticing the perfectly styled hair, the sparkling pink dress and the small and filigree arms and legs and raised an eyebrow. Her voice was almost dripping with sarcasm when she said, "I highly doubt that."

She went on but Nova followed her anyway, "you need my help to become happy, Emma."

She slowed down her steps, "I am."

"No you're not. You need me to take care of you", the fairy tried again. She was still quite nervous and desperate.

"Maybe I don't want to be happy."

"Everyone wants that."

"Maybe I just don't want your help."

"You don't really mean that."

Emma stopped, when Nova was suddenly standing in front of her. Nice trick, but not nice enough, she thought, "I can take care of myself quite well."

The fairy raised an eyebrow and looked at her dirty and messed up hair, her dirty face and her old, off worn and muddy cloths, noticed the bruise in her face, she had gotten when she had fought Tappert's insane friend, and the cut in her leg once again and looked at her in an a lot telling way.

Emma sighed, "I'd like to know what you'd look like after doing my job."

The fairy's expression turned into pity, "the point is that I don't need to."

"Well, but I do."

"And you shouldn't need to either."

"Well, thanks to my vanished parents I've got no other choice."

"But you do", Nova insisted and was all the encouraged fairy again, "you always have. There have always been other orphans like you and most of them took another way, Emma. Not every one of them turned bad or had to go down the route you chose. You don't have to do that job."

"But I like my job."

"It's dangerous."

"Which is why I like it", she insisted before she noticed another wanted poster, somebody had already thrown away, which was why it was lying formed into a wrinkled ball on top of a basket filled with fire wood beside a small fireplace in the middle of the market behind Nova's back. The bounty seemed to be extremely high as far as she could see it.

Emma left the fairy behind once more without paying any more attention to her at all and hurried across the distance to that fireplace, to get the wanted poster before someone would burn it.

"I can't believe you really want to keep on living like this", she heard Nova ranting from somewhere far behind her, when she reached for the paper.

She unfolded it carefully so she would not tear even one part of it. At the bottom there was written the prize, which proofed to be as high as she had expected it before. Right above of it was written the words "dead or alive". The rest of the poster was filled with the drawing of a man with dark hair, quite intense eyes, that seemed to examine her entirely and a very charming, flirty and dangerous smile. From his right ear was hanging an earring and his jaw looked like he had not shaved it for more than just three days. Right above his picture there was written his name "Captain Hook". That name did not really leave much room for imagination. Maybe this would be the first time the bounty would actually match to the person she had to hunt down for it? At least the name was ringing something in the back of her mind. It was as if she had heard it once before, but she could not remember in which connection.

"Oh ducky, I don't think this is a good idea", an old man suddenly said from beside the fireplace. He was sitting there warming his hands at the fire. He had shoved the tip of his beard into his belt to prevent it from getting into the fire and his cloths were just as dirty as hers were. While she had been looking at the poster, he had leaned into her to catch a glance as well, without her even noticing it.

Emma skipped the question why he thought like that, already hearing the same old answer of being a pure small girl and not a tough and strong mountain of a man and frowned, "what do you know about him?"

The man chuckled, "stories. There are a lot stories out there about the sometimes strong, smart or even dangerous pirate captain."

Emma raised an eyebrow. Not every story was true. She had discovered that many times now, "and what are those stories?"

He grinned as if he was feeling sorry for her purity and naivety, "well, one is that you won't find him. Nobody has ever caught him."

"Why that?"

"Because nobody has seen him ever since that bloody curse hit."

"Is that the reason you wanted to burn it", Emma asked not really interested anymore.

The man laughed, "yes, indeed."

Emma held out the poster to him so he could burn it even though she would have loved to keep it, but she did not want to leave the impression to be interested in hunting the captain's head. Sometimes it was wiser to hide what you were actually hunting for, because possible rivals and too far spread rumors could always destroy every attempt to achieve it.

The man took it and threw it into the fire, "believe me ducky, it's better that way. I don't think you would have been able to catch him anyway. He really is dangerous."

"And as far as you know I don't need to worry since nobody has seen him in twenty-seven years anyway", Emma added before he could say anything more, just slightly noticing that Nova had left her alone again.

"Well", he said slowly, "you never know and you're just a woman."

Emma forced herself to grin, "yeah, well, you never know." She left him behind and walked straight out of town. She would need a horse if she really wanted to go where she expected him to be the most. It would take her a while to get there and a horse would just be handy to speed up her journey. It would make everything a lot more easily.

* * *

It was a dark and rainy night. The moon fought its way through the heavy and dark clouds every now and then and its reflection in the puddles at the ground lit up the world in a dim and mesmerizing light. Everything was silent out here except for the few horses and their riders, traveling through the small alleys, searching for a place to stay and the far sounds of laughing and sometimes even singing men that was dimmed through heavy wooden doors of the taverns on both sides of the lane. The men had saved themselves inside to avoid the cold and wet rain.

This tavern's windows were dirty and some of them had holes like a huge cheese so the air was piping inside every now and then. Just as dirty as the windows, were the jugs and glasses the bartender gave out to his guests, who were excessively drunk to care for it anymore.

Emma had been lucky. She had found a corner in the tavern she had all for herself, where the wind was not getting through. Thanks to her dark hood, she was wearing pulled far into her face, so it was not just covering her hair but also hiding her gender, nobody seemed to notice her at all. She was free to watch the men drinking, laughing and yelling stories more than simply talking, because they were excessively drunk to notice how loud they were. She was free to dwell on her own thoughts now.

It had been months since she had found that wanted poster at that little market. Back then, she had not believed the old man, maybe because he had belittled her for her gender. She had believed him to be insane for believing in old stories and myths about a man, who would bring her a lot of money, once she would catch him. Moreover, she had believed, she would not need the help of the noisy fairy, who had been just as annoying back then.

Well, she had been more than wrong, as it seemed. She had been too proud when she had believed her skills would be enough to find and catch that pirate. Sure, she was still healthy, had caught several of other wanted people and had survived through stealing from others, if she had a tough time between her catches, but she had not found the captain. Everyone seemed to know him, but nobody had actually seen him in the past few months. It was annoying and frustrating, but she had to admit that searching for him was pointless. Nova might have been of help but she had disappeared ever since they had met first. Maybe she finally had understood that Emma would never be suitable to be her client in the end. Well, the fairy would not have helped her to catch him anyway. It would have been against her appeal.

Emma sighed and resisted the urge to get out her wanted posters and check his one again. She had found that copy around three weeks after talking to that old man at the market and had hold on to it ever since, just in case she would meet someone looking even slightly alike him. It would not be a good idea to reveal who she was by showing off wanted posters in a tavern filled with thieves, murderer and pirates, if she was not mistaken.

Instead, she decided to watch the people in the tavern once more. Most of them were men who were quite drunk. They were celebrating with some prostitutes, playing drinking games or singing and yelling, until they lost their voices. The bartender could not get new jugs fast enough for them, to stop them from screaming for more. Some of those men she could even find on her wanted posters. It would have been way too easy to catch at least three of them tonight, but she was not in the right mood. To be honest, she was frustrated and she did not want to take it out on even one of those men, since it was too dangerous to lose focus because of it. She might be killed, if she would not be able to concentrate, as she needed to, in order to survive and do her job. Moreover, it would be pointless to die in a fight with some ordinary men, when she was actually waiting for a bigger fish.

However, not to catch them annoyed her even more, because it meant loosing money, which could force her to steal again.

Emma took a sip of her rum ignoring the dirt in it and leaned back in her seat once more. The problem with pirates was you never really knew which crew they belonged to, unless they were important members of it or leading them. There were many pirates here tonight, but there also were at least three pirate ships in the harbor as well. In addition, some of these men were just pretending to be pirates, because they wanted to become part of a crew in the near future, which meant their heads were worth nothing at all.

So it would be useless, to just catch one, to lure the one out, she actually wanted to catch. Bloody hell, she had not even seen Hook's flag yet.

The door opened and another crowed of men swapped inside the tavern. They were laughing, chatting and some of them immediately had a woman hanging from each arm, just like they were magnets and the women were filled with iron. Others already reached for a jaw of rum, even before they had ordered anything and confused the poor bartender.

More pirates, Emma thought and rolled her eyes. Nevertheless, she would not have expected anything less, since this was one of the well-hidden pirate towns. It had taken her four months to find it. She had started to search for it long before she had found that wanted poster. She had been searching for it ever since she had heard of it for the first time. However, she had been certain, that Hook and his men would be here.

There was another man against who she had a personal grudge. She hated him more than she could tell and she would love to catch him. He was the reason she had been searching for this town in the first place. Blackbeard was his name and he was the reason she had lost a close friend or at least she believed so.

When she had met Graham, she had been more than lost. Her love had betrayed and left her and if it wouldn't have been for him, she would have been dead for a very long time now. Graham had saved her life. It was thanks to him she was able to use a bow, guns, knifes and a sword. It was thanks to him she knew about reflex points and how to read someone else's movements and how to fight without a weapon. It was thanks to him she was able to do what she was doing in order to survive and it was thanks to him she was able to protect herself and others.

There were not many women, who could say that of themselves in a world ruled by men. Sure, there had been rumors of the past of famous women like the Evil Queen and Snow White but in the end, they both had not been fighting and at least saving themselves. The Evil Queen had always been able to relay on her magical powers and that had nothing to do with physical strength and protecting yourself through natural and ordinary abilities. You could hardly call a witch to be ordinary.

In addition, her husband in the end had saved Snow White. If it would not have been for him, she would have been rotting in her coffin of glass for the rest of her cursed life. Therefore, in the end a man had saved her as well. Still Emma was impressed by her. She had taken on the Evil Queen after all and she had done it without any magic, just relaying on her own abilities and natural strength. She was close to what she wished for every woman in a man's world.

Maybe she was too proud and her judgment was too strict. Nevertheless, she was sick of living in world where men decided about everything. She wanted to make her own decisions and to act the way she wanted to without being reduced on her gender.

Anyway, it was thanks to Blackbeard that Graham was gone forever. She had searched for him everywhere ever since that night, but she had never found him. And just like her big love, Graham had left her alone forever.

Emma watched a pirate leaving the tavern with on of the prostitutes. His intentions were more than obvious, just like the woman's goal to earn his money or whatever he had to offer. The door was not even shut again, when some other men entered the tavern. Some of them followed the pair with their eyes, while others were already focusing the rum at the bar or another woman waiting for them to do her job.

Those women were quite poor creatures. They had nothing to offer to live and they had lost more than they could bear, so they had to give everything they had left, in order to survive even though they got nothing from it. Emma did not even want to imagine what they experienced sometimes.

She rolled her eyes and stood up, as a pirate pushed one of these women into the air and swung her around, while circling, her breasts hanging in his face, while she laughed like a hyena. She did not want to watch this disgusting and strange show any longer, just as if she really did not want to steal in a town like this. A pirate town definitely was not the right place to risk the own life with the possibility of being caught and discovered as a bounty hunter, who had caught many of their men. No. She would have to catch one of them and she would have to be very creative in the process. In addition, she had a long way to go to earn the bounty, since there were no guards in this town. On top of that catching one of those men would be quite satisfying for her despite her frustration and the danger that came along with it.

Emma avoided some men chasing after a woman of the staff, they clearly confused for one of the prostitutes and made sure, her hood was staying in place. She made her way through the crowded room barely noticing the men sitting in the other corners, some laughing and chatting, some putting their heads together and some lying in the women's arms or between their breasts, just like they had forgotten, where they actually were or just believing their corners were dark enough. She stopped for a second and took another look back to a corner filled with pirates sticking their heads together, obviously laughing and chatting about a friend of theirs, flirting with a woman, who seemed to hang on his lips like he was a preacher telling her about her redemption. Something was odd in that picture, even though it definitely was usual to see something like that in a tavern like this. The problem was she could hardly see anything in that corner. It was just too dark to see anything special. However, she noticed something in the people's movements.

Something about the man was wrong. He was flirting and entertaining his friends and the woman really seemed to enjoy it, but he did not seem to at all. It was as if he was putting on an act, but she could not explain to herself why he would do that. She could see it in every movement he made, in every caress and every move of his shoulders, when he seemed to laugh about something. It was odd.

Was it just up to her imagination or was she judging him right? But why would someone do that? Moreover, why would a man not be interested in a woman he could easily convince to join his bed? She had seen plenty of men in her twenty-seven years of living on the street and taking care of herself to know that most of the ordinary ones always enjoyed such women. Sure not every man was like that, but men hanging around in a tavern like this, in a town where there was nothing like ethics and morals, usually did.

Suddenly he stopped focusing on the woman and turned to look around, just as if he had noticed someone watching him, until he found Emma. She was glad the hood was covering her face just as her cloak was hiding her features. For a second she felt like she was frozen. She felt like he had pinned her at the spot she was standing at, just by looking at her. There was something in the way he was focusing on her, even though she couldn't see any features of his face through the darkness surrounding him, that made her feel uneasy.

Slowly she turned away from that corner and left the room looking around as if he had just caught her by accident, while she had been searching the room without any intentions. She wanted him to believe that she had not focused on him. She wanted him to know that she had just noticed him by accident, just as she really had.

It seemed to work. After a few steps, she was almost certain he was not paying any attention to her anymore. She felt like he was not looking at her any longer. Maybe he was concentrating on flirting with the woman sitting in his corner and flirting with him again. She did not know it, even though she was quite curious, since he somehow had so much influence on her, which she could not understand at all. Nevertheless, she did not dare to turn around to check on it. She could be mistaken after all. Maybe thinking of Graham and her past had brought up something inside her that had softened her as much as she had been open for his sudden interest. Or maybe she was secretly longing for someone being close to her, someone who would care for her? She had been alone ever since Graham had died after all. Was it not just natural to long for someone who would be interested in her? Someone who would treat her as if she was the most precious thing in his world. Someone who would be there for her and would treat her as someone equal to himself? But could someone like that even exist? And would she even be able to open up to such a person?

She did not know. All she knew was that she usually winced back if someone tried to reach out to her. She had pulled up her walls ever since she had been betrayed. It had been difficult to reach her even for Graham, who had been everything she had ever had of a family. So how could she even think about someone staying with her and caring for her the way she wanted to? Moreover, how could she even think of someone like that, when she wanted to be her own person? Was it even possible to have both, someone who cared for her and took care of her and to stay independent and free from the common rules, made by men? Could there be any man who would accept her like that, without trying to change her?

Could there even be someone who would love her like that, even though she was not pure and innocent anymore? She had given that man more than her trust and love. He had taken everything before he had betrayed her. She had trusted in the wrong person and now she maybe even would have to pay for it for the rest of her life, by being alone and judged by everyone who would find out about it. It was bitter but in a world like this, it was a sad fact.

She sighed and walked down the alley hoping to find a pirate or anyone close to that, she could beat up to get rid of her frustrations. She barely ever felt like that. However, when she did, she needed to do something about it to distract herself and beating up someone was better, than to burst into tears of self-pity. Moreover, the best thing about it was that she could even make some money with it, if she would find someone to lend her a horse, so she could deliver her victim to the next guards, who were quite far away from this place.

* * *

"And you believe she was worth it, why?"

"Because she is a good person. She is just covering it up", Nova explained and watched Emma chasing down a pirate through dark and wet streets. It did not take long and she was already fighting him… she was more than fighting him… she actually was breaking him. Nova frowned as Emma broke his nose.

"I see", Blue said sarcastically, "she is such a good person, Nova, you're right."

"She is just hiding it."

"Hiding", Blue said emotionless, "if she was buried by an avalanche she couldn't be hidden better than her good side, I'm afraid."

"But", Nova started to try to convince her again, but was disturbed by the Blue Fairy, who didn't want to listen any longer, while Emma bound the pirate's hands together on his back and pulled him to his feet roughly, "I don't want to hear this. You are wasting your time and even worse you're wasting mine as well."

The fairy turned her back on Emma, after risking one last glance at her, while she forced the hurt pirate down another street and on a horse's back, "forget her. She doesn't even show a little glimpse of guilt or a wish to change her life, Nova. She is not worth it, but there are a lot of others who'll need you."

Nova swallowed hard while watching Emma riding out into the night. She was right about her, she was certain. If Emma would not want to change something, she would never have wanted to help her at all. It was just a feeling but if she could not trust her own feelings anymore, she was not right for this job. And her feelings proofed her right. She trusted them and she believed in Emma just as she believed in her own abilities.

Ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind questioning all that, she sighed and followed Blue back into their world filled with flowers and sunlight. She would need to take another job or she would be ordered back to deliver fairy dust between the dwarfs and the fairies again and that would not be of help for neither of them. Neither Emma nor she would benefit of it. In addition, she had no wish to face that one particular dwarf again, who had broken her heart.

Nova looked down at the world while she followed Blue. It was just too hurting to even think about her Happy and the way he had left her. She had not had the power to experience all the wonders and adventures without him, after he had left her.

"Don't worry, Nova", Blue said misjudging her reaction, "don't worry. You'll find another person you can help. One who'll be worth it."

Nova bit down any other word, remembering what had happened to the misguided Green. She would not be of help for Emma if she would end up like her and that woman needed every help she could get.

* * *

Emma pushed dust and pieces of straw off her cloths, before she bound her hair to a knot and pulled the hood, which was part of her cloak, over her head until her face was hidden. She had slept in a stable since she did not trust anyone in this town. You never knew what a crazy and greedy innkeeper could come up with especially in a town like this.

It had been her third night spending in a stable and yesterday she had caught and delivered her second pirate in this town. Of course, she could not just bring him to the guards since there was not anything like this here, so she had spent most of the night traveling around to other towns with her prisoner as part of her packages.

Emma left the stable and stepped out into the night. After her last journey her perspective on day and night had shifted, since she used the day to sleep. It was just safer than at night. At night it was possible that one of those pairs - a pirate or thief and a prostitute usually - would suddenly show up to have a "nice" time together and she did not want to be a witness of those meetings. Emma avoided another puddle while she walked down the street and watched the pirates around her carefully. They were everywhere. She felt like a mouse in a snake's nest hiding under something. But she knew it would not take long anymore and the snakes would notice her.

She went down to the docks where the ships were landing all the time, to check if there were new pirate crews. On her way, she passed some pirates trying to hire new members for their crews, which was something she had never seen before. Maybe because something like that was only possible in a town like this one.

She stopped in front of one of those tables and watched the men. One was sitting at the table writing down names on a list and talking with the men telling him their names so he would hire them. In the meantime, another pirate was standing right next to them shouting out the crew's name (which usually contained the captain's name) and advertising for the crew with stupid stories, which generally ended up being pure tales. This crew did not seem as famous as others did, since the men standing in a line to be hired looked like they were weather about to die soon or just like kids.

Emma rolled her eyes and stepped aside to turn around, when someone suddenly wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her back violently.

Her breathing stopped and her neck started to hurt immediately. The arm was very strong just like the flat chest she was pressed against, that belonged to the man behind her back. Even though she tried to free herself again by using both of her hands to pull at that arm, she was not able to get rid of him.

Well, but she did not really try, did she?

He pulled her back through a small lane and Emma had no other choice but to stumble after him, until he stopped far behind the houses and pushed her in the middle of a yard.

Emma's hood was still covering her hair and face for what she was thankful, when she noticed all the pirates surrounding her in a dangerous circle. It seemed the snakes had noticed her and they obviously were more than angry with her.

"Is that him", the pirate behind her back asked and as she turned on her heels to face him, she noticed that he indeed was very strong and big. His muscles were as big as plates that showed through the strange and thin fabric of his vest, which was the only thing covering his chest at all. His hair was bound back into a brown ponytail where his head turned into his neck and his brown eyes were starring at her more than angry.

As she turned back to the man answering him now, she secretly counted the men surrounding her. She studied their positions and body sizes, noticed their muscles and tattoos just like their body piercing and weapons. Everything could be important.

"This must be him", the other pirate right across from her answered. He was smaller and fatter than the rest. He wore a red hat on his thin hair and had something nervous in his eyes. His face was somehow familiar to her but she could not recall why or from where she thought she knew it. It was possible that he had just passed her on the street after all.

"Good", another one said before her kidnapper said, "then let's talk about the man you sold to the guards two nights before." He seemed to be the leader of their group even though she was not sure their captain was with them yet.

Emma turned around to look at him as he walked up to her slowly and dangerously like a cat, even though he was more looking like a bear, "he was our friend."

She counted ten men, if she was not mistaken. They exchanged angry glances and became even more furious when Emma did not show any reaction to their accusations. It was useless anyway. This was not planned to be a fair fight at all. They had already decided her punishment. Every word would just be wasted.

"You don't say anything", said the little scared one in a rebellious voice from behind her back and when she looked at him again, there was something chargeable in his brown and small eyes. He did not seem to be as vulnerable as before anymore at all and the weapon in his hand did not change anything about that to her advantage either. However, seeing him like this now, what she had recognized before, seemed to form into a picture that was familiar to her. A man sitting at a table beside two other pirates and a prostitute and a picture drawn on a wanted poster came back into her mind. Sm…Sma… Emma could not come up with his name. It had been something unusual…Smee! He was part of Hook's crew.

"He was part of our crew", Smee continued talking about the pirate she had caught making out with a prostitute two nights before, "and you never harm a pirate if his crew is around."

Emma rolled her eyes. Why did she always have to listen to those stupid speeches about how great and dangerous they were in such situations?

If Emma was not mistaken then Smee was Hook's first mate. That was interesting and confusing. She actually had expected that gorilla in her back to be their leader and not that frightened rat only encouraged by the majority of his men. And there was something ironic about this situation, too. After all those months searching for these pirates without any trace of them, they had found her. If her position would have been different right now, she would have laughed about it.

In the end, the old saying was true: be careful what you whish for.

They obviously had enough of her silence and Smee's stupid small talk since they decided to pull their swords and knifes. Smee stepped back just like a dog trainer throwing a chicken into a bunch of bloodthirsty, crazy and quite hungry dogs trained to kill. For him there was no question what her role in this was. It was clear she was supposed to be the chicken. But they did not know they had gotten a tiger instead.

The men exchanged short glances before one of them stepped forward and started to attack her with a sidestep. They send a beginner at her. Seriously?

Emma did not even pull her sword. She avoided his blade grabbed his wrist, extricated the sword out of his hand, kneed his leg, so he stumbled forward and pushed him into his friends, so they were distracted for a moment, within seconds.

Finally understanding what she might be capable of, the huge one behind her grabbed her again, while another pirate decided to attack her from the front. Emma grabbed the arm around her neck, took a deep breath and pulled herself up to kick the second one in his face. His nose started to bleed immediately and tears shot into his eyes as he sank to his knees a few meters away from her.

After that, Emma used momentum to pull the other one over her back and throw him to the ground. Before she could knock him out, another pirate attacked her with a knife. She only avoided him through jumping back and crashed into another one of her enemies, who pushed her, in order to stab her with his friend's knife anyway. She stopped herself from falling into it, through grabbing his shoulders, to keep enough distance between the knife and her. She was cut at the waist and suppressed a sound of pain, before she reached the reflex point at his neck to nock him out entirely. He fell on his strong friend, who had been standing up again and fell back to the ground.

Emma jumped across them to get space between the other seven and her and turned on her heels to face them.

One of them threw a knife at her, which she avoided praying that none of them had a gun or at least, that none of them would decide to use it.

When the bear-like came back to his feet, she saw her chances floating away. It was a shame she had not knocked him out yet. That would have been of big help for her.

The boy from before was still holding his wrist like it was hurting. Maybe he was just scared of her and used his wrist as an excuse not to attack her again. Too bad the others were not thinking like that as well.

The huge one stepped closer towards her. There was no way she could beat him like this. She had just three options left besides being killed. The first was to attack him with a kick. He would grab her leg and if she would be lucky, he would just throw her back into their circle, where she would be stabbed long before she would get back to her feet and she would die.

Second she could try to use one of her own knifes against him, but considering how strong he was he could easily extricate it from her grip to use it against her and she would die.

Or third, she could wait for his attack and hope to reach a reflex point to stop him. Any point would be fine. However, if she would not succeed she would simply die.

He made her decision when he suddenly punched her in her face. With that, all of her options were done. She almost flew back against a barrel that broke apart underneath her. Her back was aching and her vision blurred for a second. He used her current situation to come closer, stepping across his friend who was still lying on the ground unconscious.

Emma stood up, blinked to see clearly again and looked up, an idea forming in her head. When he was close enough she jumped up, grabbed a transom of a balcony above her and swung her feet to kick his head, what seemed to be his weakest point.

He grabbed her ankle and steadied her hanging in the air an evil grin on his face. Fine, then not. Emma kicked his face with her free foot and forced him to let go of her, to stumble back. She let herself fall back to her feet, grabbed a small and empty barrel next to her and crashed it above his head. She knocked him out and when he hit the ground, the other men, who had stayed back to enjoy the show, stared at her more than surprised.

Her hood had slipped back revealing her blond hair and her face to them as she stood grunting heavily in the shadow of the balcony, above their strongest man lying unconscious to her feet. She pulled her hood back up and ignored the sticking pain in her arms and the warm feeling from the back of her head, where blood was escaping her body.

The pirates calmed down and one after another came back to his senses. They started to attack her again in pairs of two or three men and she managed to knock them out, before the next pair showed up. Of course, she still was hit but in the end, she managed to win, what she never would have expected to be possible at all.

A lot of them were lying on the ground, some were pinned up at the walls and one was hanging from the balcony above her, pinned at the wood with his own knife. About five of them had run away after watching their comrades loosing to her and Smee had already disappeared as she had beat up the big man lying to her feet. She had bet up around nine men what she could be proud of even though she was hurt.

Emma had bruises in her face, at her neck and at her arms. Her back was aching as if she had dug over a whole field on her own and the back of her head was bleeding. She was cut at her waist and her legs. Once more, she was dirty from head to toe and mud was burning in the wound at her waist. Maybe the blade had been dirty. Stupid pirate. She was grunting and her head was aching. Moreover, she was not sure, she would be able to bring as much distance between herself and them as she whished.

But the most annoying thing was that she could not collect the bounties on their heads after all the trouble, she had had with them just now. She was certain the big one would have been enough to feet her for a whole year.

Emma hurried away from them. She was not foolish enough to believe this had been more than luck and even less stupid to think she would get away with this again, hurt as she was.

No, she needed a place to mend her wounds and take a breath, before she could search for their ship. And Smee. And Hook. She needed to be fine again before she could fight the rest of his crew.

She blinked her vision free once more, which blurred every now and then, as she dragged herself down the lanes, her head feeling like a balloon and her vision changing form time to time. She ignored the stabbing pain rushing through her whole, by adrenaline empowered body. She definitely was more than exhausted. Where was that fairy if you needed her?

Whom was she fooling? She had been right when she had told Nova she was not worth her help. And as it seemed the fairy had started to believe it, too. If not she definitely was a bad fairy.

Emma pushed open a door to a stable and looked around. There was nobody there if she was not mistaken, which was quite possible in her current situation, but that could change very fast. She was too close to the harbor and still too close to the unconscious and bet up men, who would be screaming and hunting for vengeance anytime soon.

She stepped a few steps further inside the stable not wanting to fall asleep, since she had to stay awake to protect herself, stumbled, her vision blurred again and she collapsed on the ground.

* * *

Currently I'm trying to edit my story, before I add new chapters. But the next chapters will be out soon.

Enjoy reading and feel free to tell me what you think of it.

:-)


	3. Wanted

2\. Wanted

Something was tickling. She felt it clearly. It was at her waist. But why? She smelled dust and straw and heard a strange sound she had never heard before. Water? And fire? No. She knew those sounds. She had no word for it but it reminded her of a lightning. Even though her eyelids were as heavy as stones, she opened her eyes to check what was going on. Something was telling her that she was in big trouble.

Emma remembered where she was and how and why she had gotten there. However, something of her story was missing, which meant she had collapsed.

Someone was leaning over her, but she could not see a face since her eyes had not gotten used to the strange light yet.

"Don't worry", a somehow familiar voice said softly and the sound of the lightning stopped along with the brightly light vanishing, "you're alright. Nothing will happen to you, Emma."

"Nova", she asked in disbelieve and frowned, as she noticed how weak and scratchy her own voice was sounding like, what she regretted immediately as a stabbing pain rushed into her forehead. It hurt like hell and she had to squeeze her eyes shut again to ease the pain.

"Yes", the fairy answered happy that she was recognized, "yes, it's me."

"Oh", Emma did not know what to say except, "what are you doing here?"

Nova looked down at her in confusion, "I-I'm helping you. Didn't you want that? Was that wrong?"

"No", Emma said fast and tried to sit up, "I'm just surprised."

"I told you I'd help you", the fairy stated, "and I knew you'd need me."

Emma ignored her last sentence and looked down at her waist. The wound was gone just like her bruises at her arms.

"Oh, I took care of that", Nova explained after noticing her confusion, "and the wound at the back of your head is gone as well. You really shouldn't wait to clean something like that. You could have caught an infection, you know?"

Emma swallowed hard. It was not easy for her to say it, but she knew she had to express it, "thank you."

"Well, I could heal most of it, but you woke up before I was done with your head completely, so be careful. The wound at the back is healed. But I couldn't take care of your headaches. I guess it's aching like hell, isn't it?"

"I'll survive it", Emma said and looked around. She was in a stable indeed. Everywhere was lying straw, at the walls were hanging the rakes and everything else you needed to collect it and to push the corns out of their ears when they were harvested in autumn. The whole place was made of wood and when she looked up to the ceiling, she would see the construction frame of the ceiling of the half-timbered house.

"No matter how much you did", Emma said slowly looking back at her, "you deserve it that I thank you."

Nova almost beamed at her not just, because she was proud of herself and her help, as Emma had to find out, "and what now? Do you want to start all over again and leave all this behind? Be careful. Think of your head", she added as Emma finally pushed herself back to her feet.

"What", she asked confused and checked her legs, "why should I stop?"

The fairy stared at her, "you almost died."

"No, I didn't. I almost caught an infection. That's something different."

Nova rolled her eyes before she burst in anger, "you were hurt as badly as you collapsed and needed me to take care of you, you need to hide all the time and to fight and-and you get attacked out of nowhere. You don't even know if you'll survive the next day and you still want to continue like this?"

"Yes", Emma answered her rhetorical questions without hesitation, "yes, that's exactly what I want."

"But why?"

Emma walked to the door Nova must have closed behind her and looked outside to discover, where exactly she was now, without answering her. She did not want to tell her about Graham. It was none of her business.

They were in a stable down at the harbor. It was something like a miracle she had not been found by a pirate or a thief or worse, "how did you find me?"

"I hadn't been looking for you. But somehow you're voice was so loud I couldn't ignore it", Nova explained, "it's difficult. Fairies don't really need to hear what someone is saying to know that they are needed. I guess your subconscious was yelling for me."

"I see. So you don't know what happened to the pirates?"

"No", the fairy said and looked into her eyes. She was honest. There was no sign of a lie at all.

"But I guess they went back to their ship."

"How long have I been lying here", Emma asked just slightly noticing that Nova had not changed ever since they had met the last time, which had already been a long time ago now. She was still wearing her hair bound up and she was still dressed in this sparkling pink dress. And she had not gotten thicker.

"A whole day and the past night."

"And nobody wanted to come in here?"

Nova frowned, "I don't know. I locked the door magically. Now that you woke up the magic is worn off. So it's not safe any longer I'm afraid."

"What do you know about the pirates' ship", Emma asked hoping she would be able to tell her, where it was, since she perfectly remembered, who she had been fighting with.

"It's the Jolly Roger", Nova said slowly and walked up to her, "but you really shouldn't go there, Emma."

"Why not?"

"You just fought them and they might still be angry with you. You were hurt as badly as you needed my help to survive at all and besides that, vengeance is not a solution it is a problem."

"I'm fine. I can take them on and I'm not searching for vengeance."

"You're just fine because of my help. If you remember right, you barely made it and on that ship, there might be more pirates as you've just fought with. Not to mention their captain."

Emma sighed, "but Hook-"

"Is too much of a thread besides all of his men. You know there usually is a reason for being the leader of a crew of pirates. He doesn't have that role for nothing", Nova finished her sentence, "besides their ship is not even here at the harbor. You would need to search everywhere to find it at all."

Emma stared at her surprised of her reaction.

Deep down herself, she knew she was right. She knew she would not have a chance, if she would enter their ship especially if she would start to fight them all. That night she had been fighting them successfully, had been a miracle. Still she longed to catch him. He was so close and it had taken her months to achieve that. It was frustrating to have to let him go now. She did not just want to catch him for the price on his head but for information. He was a pirate, he was famous and after all the stories she had heard, she was certain he could give her information she could need, even though she didn't believe half of what the people said about him. She could not believe all this should be out of reach again, just because she had not been careful enough and had warned them through catching one of them. It must not be true that she had sold her opportunity through that.

However, Nova was right. She had lost her moment of surprise.

Emma stepped back into the shadows when a pirate suddenly walked by. He belonged to Hook's crew. His right eye was black and swollen, his nose was smeared with dry blood and his cloths looked like they had taken a bath in salty water. She gave it a thought and remembered how he had ended up in a barrel of water somehow.

"I guess that's your work", Nova asked in a whisper and raised an eyebrow, as he left them behind without noticing them at all.

Emma did not answer her and followed him with her eyes. He was all alone.

"Don't."

She looked at the fairy in surprise, "what?"

"This could be a trap, Emma. Don't go", Nova said nervously and worried.

She sighed. She was right.

Emma was about to turn her back on him, when she noticed something from the corner of her eyes. It was another man on his way down to the docks. He was huge and somehow familiar to her. It took her a moment to understand who he was. He belonged to Blackbeard's crew.

Before Emma knew what she was doing, she was out on the street despite Nova's objections and followed the stranger. She totally focused on him and since she had met Blackbeard's crew before, she noticed his mates as well. She guessed that the closer she got to their ship, the more pirates of that crew she saw walking by, talking with other men at the harbor, merchants selling their goods and some of the women spending their mornings at the small market here.

When she noticed Hawk, she was glad she was wearing her hood and it was hard not to attack him. She hurried into the shadows of some huge houses hidden by a booth of a merchant. Hawk was Blackbeard's first made and he had been the one who she had been fighting with back then. He was tall, he was stronger than he looked like, his hair was blonde and his eyes were grey as a rock in the sunlight. People said if he really was invested in a fight and if he enjoyed it, his eyes were almost glowing in excitement and killing spree. She could sign that. When she had been fighting him all those years ago, he had only stopped, because Blackbeard had called him back like a dog to run back to their ship again. That had saved her life since she had not been as experienced as today and the fight had not been fair. Emma took a deep breath and froze when she noticed the huge ship in front of her. She had never seen it before and she had to admit that it was quite impressing.

The figurehead hanging at the bug was a mermaid that seemed to be bound to the ship like a prisoner trying to escape but pulled back again. She was leaning far across the dock just as if she was longing to escape her bounds and run away, even though there was nothing but land in front of her and she would not be able to walk. Her expression was worked as detailed that you could almost feel sorry for her when you looked at it.

At the heck of the ship, there were three lines of windows and the helm was looking out of the sea as far, as she had to wonder how deep it was reaching into the ocean at all.

The sails were red as blood. Above the crow's nest, a pirate flag was floating in the wind surrounded by seagulls, spreading their strange music across the whole harbor. They said Blackbeard's sails were dried red by the blood of his victims. He was famous for his cruelty and his recklessness. There were even rumors about him not aging even a single day, even before the whole Enchanted Forest had been cursed. And of course, everyone had heard of his huge and hidden treasure. He was supposed to be the only one, who knew exactly where it was hidden. However, Emma did not believe that. At least his crew had to know about it, if it really existed.

She had been longing for this moment for such a long time and now it was finally there. She did not want to take vengeance on the pirate captain, as Nova would believe it for sure. No, she wanted answers for a night a very long time ago; when she had lost everything, she ever had of a family. She wanted to know what happened and he was the only one who could tell her. However, to find out about the truth she needed to enter that ship made of black wood and meet Blackbeard himself even if she would die. It had turned out to be impossible to meet him anywhere if it was not in a fight or on his ship. She had never had the opportunity to talk to him and that was everything she wanted even though it was more than life threatening. He would not tell her what she wanted to know freely. He would just tell her what he wanted to tell her, but Emma could not need another stupid story about how strong, evil and incredible he was. She wanted the truth and she knew she would not get it if she would not force him to tell her.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, when someone suddenly grabbed her left arm and pulled her between the houses behind her without anyone noticing it.

Before she fully understood, what was going on she was pressed against a wall. She stared into ocean blue eyes that were somehow familiar to her. She had seen them before, but she could not recall when or where because she was still too confused. She had been concentrating on Blackbeard and his vessel just a second before and now, everything had changed too fast to simply move on. She needed a second to focus on what was going on now.

Those eyes, she had seen them before in a tavern, next to Smee's, even though she hadn't been able to recognize their color back then. Moreover, she knew the face that belonged to those eyes very well, even though it was not looking that much like the one she had seen before on a wanted poster.

His hair was dark. It barely hung into his forehead. And his chin was looking like he had not shaved for maybe two days. She had seen this face before, had noticed those features and had been surprised by the way, those eyes had been looking at her. In real life, it was even worse to look at them than at that bloody wanted poster. It was as if they could look right through her.

It was strange that she had not recognized him at that tavern several days ago. He had been right in front of her the whole time and she had not even noticed it. It was a shame.

He was dressed all in black leather. Underneath his black cloak and vest, he wore a dark blue shirt leaving a spot at his chest to see. From his belt was hanging a sword and his left hand was a hook matching to his name.

Emma freed herself pushing him away and stared him down, "what do you want?"

"That's actually something I wanted to ask you", he said jokingly even though there was no amusement in his eyes, just like there had been no emotion in them, when he had been flirting with that wench at the tavern maybe four days ago.

Emma refused to answer him. Judging his reaction he already knew what she had been about to do.

"Look", he said after it was clear she would not answer him, "I know you've got a tough job and that you're good at it", he stopped and stared at her. His eyes wandered from her body structures, as far as he was able to see them under her cloak, to her blond hair, showing to both sides of her face out under the hood she was wearing and his forehead turned into a frown.

"What", Emma asked annoyed with a glance at the street to her right. She did not have time for this, even though he was the famous Captain Hook. She needed to get on board of Blackbeard's ship before they would leave and they were already getting ready to sail away again.

"Well", he said slowly and still a little confused as it seemed, "I wasn't expecting this."

"Let me guess", Emma said annoyed to speed up their unimportant and time wasting conversation, "your men told you I was a strong and huge man with muscles to my ears and as furious as a monster nobody could ever fight."

Hook grinned, "indeed. I'm impressed. That makes you even better than what I believed you to be, after everything they said. And you don't even want to know who I am? I'm flattered you already know me."

"I've seen your wanted posters."

"Then you must be impressed now. They don't really flatter me well, you know?"

"Actually I thought the drawer did you a favor."

"Och, that hurt", he said with a huge grin on his lips before he became more serious again, "but whatever, Blackbeard is too much of a thread for you."

Emma rolled her eyes, "why would you care?"

"Because I'm a gentleman and as such it's my task to protect you", he said charmingly.

"You're not a gentleman. You're a chauvinist."

That made him laugh.

Emma surrounded him to leave him behind and follow her original plan. She wanted to enter Blackbeard's ship to threaten him to tell her the truth about Graham. And she did not have that much time anymore since his pirates were just rolling the last barrels on deck.

But Hook stopped her again and shoved her against the wall of the other house, "did you hear even a single word I said?"

"I don't care", she growled back and freed her arm. She would have loved to fight him just to get rid of him, but she knew it would draw too much attention and Blackbeard and his men would notice something. Hook was smiling at her as if he understood her.

Emma snorted angrily and gave up, "what do you want?"

"After everything I've seen and heard so far you'd be an incredible pirate, Love."

"Not interested."

"You didn't even hear me out", he said amused.

"I don't need to. The answer is no."

"I could help you to get Blackbeard's head."

Emma grinned at him evilly, "I don't need your help."

His expression changed into something more serious, "and if you consider it as payment for a job?"

Emma raised both of her eyebrows in disbelieve, "I guess for such a job you should come here tonight again. There might be a woman foolish enough to agree."

Hook mirrored her reaction and raised one of his eyebrows, grinned suggestively and stepped closer invading her personal space just as if he did not know what that was at all, "I doubt they'd regret it, Love. But if-"

"Great.", she cut him off, "in that case we're done." She pushed him back breaking their eye contact, just to notice that he was still holding on to her wrist, which angered her more than she could say. She did not have time for this.

"We're not", he insisted a little annoyed himself now that she hadn't let him flirt with her any longer, "you still didn't hear me out."

"And again: I'm not interested."

"You don't even know what it's about", Hook said calmly and let go of her.

"I don't need to. You are a pirate and I beat up half of your crew after selling one of them to the guards. There is no way I'd ever work with or for you."

The captain gave it a thought. Emma did not need to ask him if he understood what she was referring to at all. It was obvious he understood that she believed that he would betray her.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see that there were still some pirates of Blackbeard's crew flirting around with wenches and haggling with merchants. Maybe she still had a moment left.

"Well", he said, "if you agree you'll just have to trust me, Love."

"Trust is something you tell little kids about so they can sleep well at night", Emma said without any hesitation from the depth of her heart, "control is better."

Hook stared at her for a moment before he grinned, "why don't you just hear me out?"

"Because you're wasting my time."

Now he was upset, she could see it. Nevertheless, even though his smile was fading he stayed almost polite. Just his voice was revealing what he was holding back, "hear me out and we're done."

Emma sighed and he understood it as an agreement, "let's just say-"

She cut him off, "the truth, Hook. I don't have time for "let's just says" and especially not for lies."

She watched Blackbeard's pirates heading back to their ship one after the other and got nervous. Time was running out. Now they would really leave and she would not make it if she would waste more time with this.

"Why do you want my help of all people?"

"Is it really important? I could lie to you", he pointed out to anger her and obviously enjoyed it since he was smiling at her again, "how are you going to check if I'm lying to you or not since you prefer control over trust?

Emma suddenly had the impression that he was just trying to make time that he actually wanted her to miss Blackbeard's ship, "you'll notice when I split you in half if you lie to me and waste my time any longer."

Hook's grin turned into the most serious expression she had seen on him so far, even though she knew that it was still fake, "I know a capable person if I see one."

Truth.

"I'm sure you'll find plenty of others here."

"But I need your abilities", he insisted.

Truth.

Emma frowned, "why? What for?"

Hook grinned, "to find someone."

Truth.

"Who?"

"Our friend Blackbeard", he answered seriously without breaking their eye contact. He was good. But not good enough.

Emma pulled a knife before Hook even noticed that she had discovered his lie. She would have pulled her sword if there would have been more space in the small lane between the houses.

He held up his hand to sign he would not fight back.

"Your hook", Emma growled.

The Captain chuckled and held up his other arm, "you really should learn to trust, Love."

"As soon as you learn to lie, Pirate."

He frowned, "how did you even notice?"

"Not my fault if you can't lie properly", she answered and resisted the urge to take another look at the docks, because she perfectly knew he would use that chance to fight back. She could not leave him out of her sight now.

He chuckled.

"You think that's funny?"

"No", he said and held up his chin a little higher to avoid the tip of her knife, which she was pressing harder against his neck, "I thought you didn't have time?"

"I always have time to get rid of you."

"Not if you want to get Blackbeard's head I'm afraid", he chuckled again just as if she had missed the point of a joke.

Blackbeard!

She longed to check on the ship and the pirates now more than ever, but she still did not want to give him the opportunity to attack her.

He understood her, "they're gone, Love."

Shit!

* * *

Nova watched the whole scene from afar floating over the small gab between the houses. She was floating even higher than the seagulls and enjoyed the light of the morning sun, while she focused on the two down on that lane. It was hard to focus on them while the panorama with the water and the sunrays sparkling on every white cup of the soft waves, was threatening to distract her. She could not understand what they were talking about, because she was floating too high and the noise from the harbor was too loud, but especially because most of what they were saying was quite fast and very silent.

She was highly worried. When Emma had just left her behind she already had expected something bad to happen, but she would have never thought it would be as bad as it was now.

Who would have thought Emma would actually run into Hook of all people? Sure first she had been glad that Emma had been stopped from sneaking on board of Blackbeard's ship, but now she was not as happy anymore. She could not even say if it would not have been better if she would have entered that bloody ship. She could not even tell which pirate was worse anymore.

"Nova", a familiar voice asked for her. She froze. It was Blue. That she had just missed. Now she would not even be able to help Emma if she would need her. The risk to be caught by Blue while taking care of her even though she was not allowed to do it was just too high.

"Nova?"

"I'm coming", the fairy said nervously and vanished immediately to where she was supposed to be now.

"Where have you been", Blue asked in a strict voice. They were floating above Snow White's and Charming's heads, who were sitting in their child's chamber. It was a nice and light room filled with toys, a huge bed and armchairs in front of a fireplace. Every kid would have loved to live in here.

Nova barely paid attention to them. She was too scared of Blue right now to care for anything else but the fairy in front of her.

"I'm sorry. I was in the gardens and totally forgot the time", she lied and her cheeks turned hot. She was not good at lying and it was surprising her a lot, that she had just come up with this one, like she had been thinking about it for hours.

Blue misunderstood her reaction, "at least you notice your mistake. You should have stayed with them."

Even though she was forgiving her, the Blue Fairies expression stayed strict just like the way her brown hair was pulled back. She was dressed all in blue matching to her name and her dress was sparkling just as much as Nova's.

"I'm sorry, Blue", Nova looked at the sad pair underneath them. They had not noticed them yet. Maybe because they were still invisible. However, invisibility did not mute their words, so if they had not noticed the fairies talking yet, something bad had to have happened again, something that was completely drawing their attention.

Nova sighed feeling sorry for them as badly as something had just hit her, "what happened?"

"The last guards just came back."

"So?"

"Nothing", Blue said sadly, "there is no sign of Prince Henry."

"And the Evil Queen?"

"She is still searching for him", Blue sighed upset just like usual when they started to talk about Regina, who she did not like even less far as she was able to throw her, which was equal to less than nothing, "it's too bad just like someone had taken him on purpose."

Nova frowned, "what do you mean with that? I thought he has been kidnapped right out of his bed. How couldn't that be on purpose then?"

Blue frowned, "he was the reason Snow White and Charming made peace with…Regina. It was because of him that they were able to meet and see each other without hurting or even murdering anyone. And now of all people who could have been taken, it's him who is missing?"

Snow White suddenly looked up to the ceiling, but since they were still invisible, she looked at a point right next to them, "you believe someone wants to cause another war between us?"

Worry was shining through her warm green eyes. There was a hint of red in them, that proofed she had been crying for a long time. Her dark hair was reaching loose and uncombed to her back and created a perfect contrast to her white dress that had feathers stitched to its skirt. Even though she had not taken care of her hair and maybe she was still wearing the same, she had been dressed in the days before, she looked beautiful.

Charming followed her gaze and seemed to be just as surprised as her especially since he had been thinking of the possibility of Regina being at fault over and over again. His blue eyes were not red but his forehead was laid in folds. His blond hair was just as uncombed as Snow White's and he was looking like he had not slept at all. His blue trousers and the white shirt looked like Snow's dress so he had not changed as well.

"I believe so as well", Regina said all of a sudden entering the room but still keeping her distance to them. Things had changed when she had risked her own life to safe Henry two years before, but it was still strange for her to be accepted by the Charmings.

She did not seem to be as sad as they were at all. No, she was looking strong and unapproachable like always. The dark dress underlining her female features and the way her dark hair was bound up reminded of the old times, when she had been fighting Snow White and her Charming. Her black dress was traversed by red and a dark blue a raven's feathers hanging at her shoulders and her lips were colored just as red. Nova had to admit she was a little frightened by her, even though she knew that she was actually redeemed by now.

"But who would do that", Charming asked worried. Was there another thread they did not know about yet? Was it not already enough that they had lost their little Emma all those years ago? And was it not already enough that it had taken them eighteen frozen in time years to finally have Henry? Had they not already suffered enough?

"I'm afraid it's true", Blue said and finally became visible, "there must still be someone out there who wants to make you suffer." Her eyes met Regina's, who she was still careful with, for a moment, "or all three of you."

"But who", Snow asked.

Charming turned to look at the witch, "is there anybody who'd do something like that to you?"

"It would be easier to think about the people who wouldn't", Regina said coldly.

Before Charming could say anything anymore Snow stated, "but there aren't many people who'd do that to us even though Regina is involved, Charming."

"Are you certain", Regina asked not even skeptically since she obviously did not believe it herself.

Their eyes met, "yes."

Nova decided to leave again just when a familiar name was said, "even after everything that happened to your Emma?"

She turned around again and noticed that Snow was swallowing hard before she said very slowly, "you were the only one profiting from that."

"But I wasn't involved", Regina stated annoyed, "I didn't take her or she'd be dead by now."

Did they just say "Emma"?

"Just good we have evidence that she is still alive", Charming pointed out even though he seemed to be pretty upset with her, "we received a message that told us so. But we don't know anything about Henry."

"Just knowing she is alive is still not enough", Snow said sadly and weak, "but you're right. If I at least knew, Henry is still alive and healthy I guess it would be easier for me to fight on."

She almost cried as her husband took her in his arms supporting, "you need to have hope, my dear."

"It's so hard", she cried, "I don't have enough strength do it another time."

Regina looked at her feet so she would not need to watch that scene in front of her, but Nova noticed the sadness in her eyes anyway. This was the most human emotion she had ever seen from Regina. Maybe she was not as frightening as she had always believed her to be. Maybe Green had been right about her back than anyway.

Blue flew down to the mourning couple ignoring the witch standing alone at the side and she remembered immediately, what had happened to Green for believing that Regina could be redeemed one day. The fairy had lost her wings and nobody knew what had happened to her ever since. She was lost not just for her vocation as a fairy but also for anyone who was befriended with her or wanted to help her. Sure, there had not been many fairies wishing to do that, since everyone believed in Blue's judgment, but the few ones who wanted to, had been searching for her for nothing. It was as if she was not even part of the Enchanted Forest anymore, which was frightening everyone. Besides that, she remembered immediately how many times the witch had proofed Blue to be right in the past.

No, it was definitely not reasonless to be afraid of her.

However, it was different with Emma. She was not always doing the right thing and making the right decisions, sure. Nevertheless, she was only human and Nova could see the purity in her heart even though Emma did not notice it herself.

Nova stopped to listen to them. There was a ringing sound in her ears, which made it impossible to hear anything else anymore. It was a very loud sound of a carillon ringing through the wind. She had heard this before when she had rushed back to that damn town. She was called. Emma!

* * *

She pushed him back and caught a climbs of Blackbeard's ship leaving the harbor the sunlight lighting up the red sails spreading a red light across the whole ship, so it seemed like it was bathed in blood. She had screwed up. However, she did not have enough time to think about it or anything else, because Hook had decided to attack her just in this moment as she had expected him to before.

He caught her right arm and pulled her hand with the knife down using his hook. In the meantime, he held his own knife to her neck and pushed her back against the wall again.

Emma tried to free her arm and placed her left one on his shoulder, where his neck ended feeling the fabric of his thick and for sure heavy cloak. She tried to shove him back but it was useless.

He grinned thinking he had won. Stupid pirate!

"Will you listen to me now?"

"Do I look like I'll listen?"

"No", he grinned even more, "you look like you want to kill me."

True. Maybe he was not as stupid as she had believed him to be. He was just full of himself enough to oversee that he had a problem.

"Maybe I do."

"You don't have a chance", his smile vanished. This almost sounded like an honest warning, "all you can do is listen to me."

"Not interested", she growled and moved her arm in his hook so that the knife, she was still holding in her hand, was pointing at his most precious point.

Hook raised an eyebrow and looked down at it as soon as he noticed something at his leg, "nice try. But I'm afraid I'll still need that", he pulled her arm behind her back and came even closer, "need proof?"

"There is nothing you could proof to me."

He grinned and changed the subject proofing to her that he was not as much a jackass as she had seen other pirates before. They had tried to use their opportunities to actually proof, what kind of men they were, just when Emma had saved the poor women in their grips. She had saved them when the pirates had wanted to take advantage of their sad situations pushed in a corner without even being able to hope to get any help. But not Hook. Maybe even a pirate could have some pride after all.

"Let's talk about my offer to you", he said getting back to business and stared into her eyes, "it won't be easy, might take long and definitely will be risky."

"Define risky", Emma demanded and moved her left hand on his shoulder so it came closer to his neck and switched under his cloak. Her fingers were lying perfectly now. She ignored the softness of the hair in his neck and the warmth of his skin.

"It could cost your life", he said without noticing it at all or at least he did not think it to be important. Maybe he even judged it a try to flirt with him, now that her chances to escape were so bad.

Again, he was telling the truth. She even knew that without using her special ability. Who on earth would lie about something like that if he wanted to get something? Nobody.

Emma was curious enough to take the risk and wait a little longer now, "what is it about?"

"I need to find someone", he answered cryptically, "but you'll have to take the job to get more information."

"If you don't tell me who you are searching, how am I supposed to know if I can find him", she tried to force him to tell her everything ignoring the feeling of his skin and the warmth of it underneath her fingers.

"I know you can."

"How dangerous will this be", she ignored the tension in these words and focused on their conversation even though it was hard for her. That sentence had felt like he had told her he believed in her, which was totally impossible and insane. She knew why she was thinking like that. She had not had someone to believe in her for quite a while. To be exactly, ever since Graham had died.

"You couldn't be in danger more than through this."

Emma stared into his eyes. He had told the truth or at least he believed it to be the truth, which was reason enough to be even more careful.

"Why do you tell me that", she frowned still surprised why he would be so honest with her, when he actually wanted her to team up with him.

"You deserve to know it, when you join me", he answered as if she had already made her decision. She was honestly surprised that he actually implied he was giving her one, when he was threatening her like this. It was strange and completely contradictory.

"Is there any magic involved?"

"Maybe."

"Forget it."

Hook stared at her, "come on, Love", he came closer, "I know you can make it."

"That's not the point", she stated and resisted the urge to shake her head, since she would only cut herself with the knife, he was still holding to her neck, "I'm not nuts enough to get involved with magic."

"You're tough", Hook admitted after a moment of staring each other down to get what they wanted, "even though you've lost you still make an honest decision. I appreciate people like that, still willing to fight even though they've already lost."

Emma grinned at him and his expression turned into confusion, "I don't. But you have."

Before he could do anything, she pressed her fingers at the reflex point in his neck and sent him to his knees grunting of pain, before she knocked him out with her knee.

Emma looked down at him. She frowned. Somehow, this had been way too easy. Her instincts warned her that something was off and she usually could trust them.

Hook was a pirate who had avoided to be caught for years and now she was supposed to believe, she could simply nock him out like that? If it was real, she had indeed every reason to be disappointed now. She resisted the urge to lean down to him and check if he really was unconscious and took a last look around, before she chose the small way through between the houses instead of the crowded street along the harbor, even though every cell in her body was telling her to do that. Every child would have taken that route and she did not want to end up in a trap she could easily avoid, if she would not be too naïve.

When she reached a lower roof, she pulled herself up on the straw that was covering the house and climbed up to its top carefully so she would not fall down. She looked around and noticed some men running down the harbor to the lane Hook was lying at while others ran through that very same alley towards Hook from the opposite direction. She had been right after all. It had been a trap and now her only escape was leading across the roofs of the houses in this town.

"Emma", Nova suddenly appeared in front of her out of nowhere and startled her so she almost lost balance and fell off the roof.

Emma steadied herself again and stared at the fairy who already seemed to understand everything and sprinkled fairy dust on her.

"Believe", she said and smiled before she pushed Emma down the roof to the opposite side of the roof.

She already believed she would hit the ground and imagined what it would feel like if she would crush into the stony ground. She imagined how people would start to scream as soon, as they would understand what had happened. She was afraid to fall because she did not believe in herself, as she started to think of Nova and how she had taken care of her wounds without any medicine and started to fly.

* * *

"Ya okay, Captain", Frank Blake one of his younger pirates with blond hair and green eyes asked as he helped him to stand up. The young man was as inexperienced in being a pirate as a fish was in riding a horse. However, he usually did his best and he was quite good at cooking.

"Aye", Hook said darkly and reached for the place where his neck ended in his shoulder that was still aching quite a lot. What ever she had done to him, it had not just been successful but also very painful. He could still enjoy the aftertaste of it. He frowned. There was no wound, even though he had expected it after feeling her pushing her fingers into his flesh or whatever it had been, she had done. He sniffed air as he turned his face to the left and felt the pain increasing at his neck to his right, "did you catch her?"

Blake's face turned white shy as he was and he already knew the answer even before he spelled it out, "her? No, Captain. We waited at both ends of the lane but there wasn't anyone. She simply disappeared."

Hook sighed in annoyance, "and you guys told me about a huge and strong man."

Blake looked down at his hands guiltily while Hook searched the lane for the other pirates, "where are the others?"

"Searching for her", the pirate said in low voice still avoiding his eyes. So his men had left behind the puppy to tell him the bad news, hoping he would feel sorry for him instead of punishing them and on top of that, they were looking for a man even though they had too search a woman.

Hook looked up to the sun his hand lying in his neck to support it hoping he could avoid most of the pain through it and sighed, "they won't find any trace of her. She is too good."

"But somehow she must have escaped, Sir."

Hook frowned as he noticed the roofs on top of the houses surrounding them. His thoughts were running wild thinking of what he would have done if their places had been reversed. He knew it and the moment he understood, it was the moment he had to admit that she definitely was gone and they wouldn't find any trace of her, "she escaped across the roofs."

"What", Blake said naively and surprised as he stared at him in disbelieve, before his eyes wandered to the roofs, as if he could not believe they were actually there.

"Go find someone of the crew", Hook ordered disappointed, "tell them we're searching for a blond woman."

"Aye", Blake said hesitantly and ran to the harbor while Hook stared at a roof of straw. If they would not find her, he would have to change his plans. It was frustrating.

When they had found out that Scumpy had been caught and delivered to the guards in a town in the south-west, he had been surprised. He had been curious to find the person who had done that hoping he would be skillfully enough to help him. But when his men had returned looking like they had been beat up by another crew and talking of a huge and strong man who had done it all alone (which he had to lure out of them before they were willing to admit it) two nights before, he had been impressed. It had taken him hours until his crew had told him everything he needed to know except one little detail, which they had not noticed themselves, as it seemed.

At first, he had recognized her as the strange person watching him at the tavern several days ago, while he had tried to distract himself and impress his men by flirting with one of the prostitutes, before they would buy him one again believing they were doing him a favor. He was not a saint - he had never been and sometimes he had even enjoyed his time with a wench they had bought him or a woman he had chosen himself. However, that particular night he had not had fun with her. He just had not been able to get involved with her fully. He had just toyed around and in the end he had send her away. Seeing that strange person with his hood hanging deep into his face his pleasure in the whole thing had turned into nothing and he had lost interest completely. Back than he had believed it to be possible that he had been found and that he was in trouble again.

On his way back to the Jolly Roger that night he had been more than carefully checking every corner even on his ship, believing that she had finally found him and the strange figure at the tavern had been her way of playing around and warning him. Never would he have believed to find out that stranger was a woman hunting for bounties.

In addition, even as he had found her at this harbor he had no idea they were the same persons. He had hoped he could convince her to work for him and if not he had planned to simply force her to. However, that had been before he had discovered that she was a woman. After that, everything had gone wrong somehow. He had underestimated her because of her soft skin and her beautiful blond hair ignoring the weapons at her belt and maybe even in her boots and the back of her trousers. He had been sure he could charm her into helping him and yes, he had enjoyed playing around with her while she kept pushing him away in every possible way. He had enjoyed it more than he had found pleasure in joking with that wench at the tavern, especially after he had noticed the fire in her eyes and her whole character as far as he had gotten to know her.

In the end, she had been more of a thread and more skillfully as he had expected her to be even after everything his men had told him and what they had been looking like after fighting with her. He had underestimated her and he had lost focus through angering her and making her green eyes glow a little. He had enjoyed it too much to destroy her thoughtless plan of getting into trouble with Blackbeard and in the end, he had lost.

Hook did not wait for his men to tell him what he had just realized and accepted namely that they would not find her like this anymore. He went back to the Jolly Roger.

The way things were now he would have to stay in this town longer than he had planned to in the first place, since she was just perfect for what he had planned. He needed another chance to catch her, to convince her to help him. Bloody hell! There had to be something she wanted badly enough to make a deal with him.

Hook sighed.

He was not bad at finding people. He had done it himself in the past and back than he had been quite successful. He had even found Rumpelstiltskin's little girlfriend in one of the Evil Queen's cells. But ever since his little encounter with said queen and her mother Cora twenty-seven years ago, which had been quite disappointing in regards of finding Rumpelstiltskin especially with all of their skills and promises, his trials had been inconclusive. Sometimes he even believed it was their fault, he could not succeed anymore.

Maybe they kept interfering him all the time. Maybe that was their way of taking revenge on him. Or did they have their own plans and he was an obstacle to them all of a sudden?

Hook walked up the plank to his ship, which he loved more than anything else in the world ever since Milah's death. It was the only thing he could relay on without being disappointed. He could always believe in his marvelous Jolly Roger. She was everything he had left. The pirates came and left again and by now, there were maybe around ten of them left who had started to sail with him on this ship all those years ago when his brother had been captain of it. Even Smee, who was one of the men who were closer to him for one or another reason, had not been with them back than. But his Jolly Roger had always been there. She had always been loyal and she had always been reliable. She had survived several fights and they had escaped Blackbeard who had wanted to enter her, when he had heard of the magical wood she was made of.

Yes, he knew Blackbeard. He had already fought him and he had won, but nobody had ever heard of it. His men had never told anybody about it, especially not since they had to fear their own captain just like every other enemy and Hook had insisted to keep it a secret because he had not wanted to become too famous.

Blackbeard was a braggart always searching for fame and maybe being even the most rotten and cruel pirate Hook had ever met before. Blackbeard was willing to do everything for what he wanted no matter what the consequences would be, he confused fear with respect and believed loyalty to be the right to do what he wanted with his sailors, even if that meant he was treading them like the dirt under his boots. If a sailor wasn't as rotten as him he couldn't even get close to him and if a sailor wasn't close to Blackbeard, he was treated like a slave and could be killed just as easily as an animal in order to feet from it right on deck.

She did not know it yet, but he had saved her life by disturbing her plans before. Hook looked down at his boots and stopped in the middle of the plank. It would have been a waste to lose her like that. It would have been a waste to have Blackbeard kill her with all the abilities she seemed to have. He felt like he had found a unicorn. A woman like her was quite seldom and so was her goal as far as he had been able to judge about it, after seeing her planning to sneak on Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge.

Hook snorted. That name was just as inflated as his whole ship and the tales he was spinning around it and himself. Through those tales, everyone knew about the big and bad Blackbeard. Sometimes he almost regretted that he had forbidden spreading the story of his fight against that puffed rooster and that he, Captain Hook, had beat him.

But after all that fame Blackbeard had earned through his tales and stories and his rottenness and cruelty Hook would not have been able to enjoy is normal and calmly life. And for sure, he would not have been able to avoid Cora searching for him everywhere, not to mention to kill Rumpelstiltskin without him noticing anything before he would succeed, if people suddenly would have started to celebrate him or to fear him even more than that pirate.

That had been the only reason to keep the story to him and the men who were part of his crew. Nobody else needed to know about their fight. Nevertheless, it would have been great to see Blackbeard's expression if anyone would have found out about it especially since Hook had not killed him but left him alive.

As soon as he entered the deck of the Jolly Roger, he noticed that something was off. Was it just thanks to his imagination or were even the seagulls circling the tip of his main mast more silent than ever? But his sails floating in the wind on the other hand seemed to be incredibly loud. Even the wood of his vessel seemed to be cracking louder in their natural movements floating on the water. He felt as if he was being watched but he already knew that nobody was there even though he had expected at least two pirates to stay here to guard his ship. That he could not find anyone was alarming more than enough.

Hook placed his hand on the held of his sword ready to pull it every second and approached the hatch that lead below deck where his captain's quarters, some smaller cabins and the huge storeroom were, where most of his men usually slept in their hammocks. There was nobody there as far as he could see it and nobody attacked him, but still he was feeling that someone was there.

He checked the whole ship before he stopped in front of his own door. Would there be someone inside there? He had locked the door before he had left the Jolly Roger to search for that woman, but now the door was just ajar nothing more. Therefore, there definitely had to be someone.

"Are you going to stand out there forever", a female voice asked bored when he had opened the door completely and stopped in the doorway, "if you're planning to do so, please close the door."

A woman with black hair that was bound up at the back of her head and dark eyes was standing in front of the window in the heck of the Jolly Roger. She was dressed in black and her dress had feathers of a raven at her shoulders. He could even see some dark red and blue between the black color of it. It was stinging to her like a second skin but did not seem too tight and it underlined her neckline he could perfectly see.

He slowly entered the room holding back a frustrated sigh just to stand in front of the one person he had whished to never see on board of this ship. Okay, there might have been more than one he did not want to see here, but she definitely belonged to his top three. However, he had to admit it could have been worse.

"What are you doing here?"

She grinned, "I've got a job for you."

Hook frowned when he closed the door behind his back. Her tasks usually ended with him almost dying and since she did not really like him, he could be certain this task would be awful. The first time she had had a task for him he had almost been beheaded thanks to her mother, who might have been the second worse person in the world he knew.

Regina grinned just as if she knew his thoughts but something was different about her. There was something in her eyes, he had never seen before. Was it softness? Or pain? He had heard stories about her making peace with Snow White and her husband, which he always had believed to be simple tales and nothing more. Regina might have been the only person he knew, who had been driven by vengeance more than him. In the past, she had given everything to kill Snow White and that for sure had been a lot. Bloody hell she had even brought her mother back from Wonderland through using him in order to take revenge on Snow White. There had been no way he would have ever believed those stories. He could not even imagine what could have happened that she would have made peace with her at all.

Hook resisted the urge to ask if those tales were true and what had changed. He did not really want to know it. Actually, he just wanted her to leave again, "what job?"

"You've got to find someone for me", she said suddenly quite serious, "someone very important to me."

"Who", he asked suspicious since he had already heard something equal to those words twenty-seven years ago.

"A boy", she answered without hesitation, "he is eleven and his name is Henry."

Hook frowned but refused himself to ask what she wanted with that kid. It was easier not to care about it. It locked out pictures popping up in his mind that were not just awful but disgusting, "don't you have any more information?"

"No", she simply said, "but I know where you should search first."

Somehow, he had the feeling that he would not like this at all, "let me guess: Wonderland?"

"No", she answered and judging her suddenly cramped lower jaw, he assumed she remembered what he was referring to perfectly, "and I can't send anyone else."

"What about Graham?"

Regina's face turned as cold as he knew it from their past together, but in her eyes he could still notice a hint of sorrow if he was not mistaken, "he can't do it. She wasn't happy when my plan failed."

He did not need to ask what she was talking about at all. "She" was her mother Cora and if that woman had taken out her anger on the huntsman then he could be lucky that he was still alive.

Hook frowned as he stumbled over that thought and studied the witch in front of him more carefully. If he was still alive…

However, the way Regina was reacting to this he was almost certain she had not had her hands in it whatever had happened to Graham. She was not proud enough to have been involved in hurting him if that was all what had happened to him. On the other hand, she had changed as much as he was not certain anymore, that she would be proud of it, even if she had been involved in it. She was not flirting and even though she tried very hard to appear like it, she was not as scary as twenty-seven years ago anymore.

He did not ask her about it any further. She did not know of her mother's plans from back then that had also failed because everything had turned out different from what she had planned. He did not want to talk about it especially not with her. However, even if he would have wanted to ask about Graham he would not have had the opportunity, since she already asked just as if he actually had an opinion in this, "so? Will you do it?"

They both knew he did not have a saying in this. He never had. The point was he did not know if it would be worse to say no or to simply agree to it. He didn't really want to listen to that very small voice in the back of his mind which was still able to hope that the obstacle he would have to face, if he'd agree to it, would be less awful, than what she would do to him, if he'd decide to rebel against her. Regina might have lost something of her acuteness, but she was still Regina after all. No matter what she appeared to be like, the possibility that it was just an act and her old personality was still lingering somewhere inside her waiting for a moment or even a single word to set her free again, was pretty high.

He was not as afraid as a little kid would have been and he would have never admitted that he was feeling something like fear at all, but he was not stupid or even insane as well. To say no would be exactly that. However, saying yes could be as well. He was not naïve enough to believe he could pick right for himself, because he already new no matter what he chose it would be wrong.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

"Sch."

She rolled her eyes almost regretted that she had come back to help her. It had been pointless in the end. She would never change. Slowly she could see why Blue was thinking like that and it was annoying her that she was close to giving up on her herself now. She had seen Emma's potential and she had really hoped she would change but as she had to watch her searching for those pirates right after she had just been saved by her, it had been like a slap in her face.

Secretly Nova had to criticize her own decision. Instead of bringing her to a place in this town to hide between some houses far away from the harbor, she should have brought her into the woods or even behind it bringing as much space between her and the pirates as possible.

Emma checked the street filled with people walking down to the market and a farmer loading his carriage with the rest of the goods he had delivered to a tavern, for any pirates before she left her hiding place in the small lane she had reached just minutes ago and walked down the street. She had taken off her cloak because it was the first thing the pirates would recognize and had bound it around her waist so it almost looked like a skirt.

"Could you tell me what you're planning, please", Nova whispered floating beside her ear like a fly and looking around nervously.

"I need to find them", Emma whispered back without looking at her or even moving her lips too much since nobody was able to see Nova besides her and it would have been strange if she were talking with the air, "he interfered in my plan and I want his head for that."

They were walking down the street while avoiding people who were weather heading in a different direction or a lot more slowly than her. Emma checked every person they passed no matter if it was a woman or just a very young boy. Everyone seemed to be a possible thread for her. But the fairy could not blame her for that. They were in town of outlaws after all.

Nova sighed and rolled her eyes, "seriously? I think you should send him some flowers for stopping you. He actually did you a favor, you know? Who knows what would have happened to you if you would have succeeded in getting on that ship."

"I know what would have happened. That's why I'm so angry", Emma said before she suddenly stopped when she noticed someone running down the street all on his own like he was searching for something or someone. Someone like her maybe?

Nova crashed into her neck, "sorry. Didn't notice you would st-"

"Sch."

Nova frowned and looked to the side into the direction Emma was focusing on. This was bad. That man, she had noticed him before when she had been taking Emma with her. He had entered that lane the pirate had been lying unconscious the moment they had left that roof.

His hair was blonde and he had not even one scratch on his skin as far as they could see it. He was dressed in a white shirt and brown trousers that seemed to be dirty from cooking. His only weapon was a knife he had bound clumsily to his pants since he was not wearing a belt. He was quite thin and he seemed more than nervous and quite in a hurry.

Nova looked at her protégé and tried feverishly to come up with an idea to stop her from attacking that pirate when she noticed the grin in Emma's face and despaired. She had less time than she had thought. Emma already had a plan.

"Wait here", Emma whispered and wanted to approach him.

Nova stopped her, "what are you planning to do?"

The woman sighed, "I'll get him."

"But you actually want Hook", Nova hurried to say and floated after her in a hurry until she surrounded her and stopped right in front of her face forcing her stop as well, "and you won't find him, if you beat up that poor kid."

"Kid?"

"You know what I mean. He won't help you and you won't get Hook", the fairy said fast, "and that could be a trap, you know?"

Emma bit her lip and stared at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she was still able to see the pirate who had stumbled over a basked of a farmer loading his carriage and kept apologizing to him. He was clumsy and he was very young. He could not be worth the work yet. And Nova had been right. She wanted Hook and nobody else.

"Fine", she finally said noticing how relieved Nova seemed to be, "I'll follow him to their ship. There I should be able to find Hook."

"No", Nova said disappointed and looked at her in despair. Now she regretted that she had stopped her. It had been stupid.

They followed the young pirate almost through the whole town always searching for his mates to tell them something as it seemed. Emma already had a guess about what they were talking. If she was not mistaken then those men were trying to find her and the pirate she was following through the whole town was telling them whom they were actually searching for what was increasing the danger for her from minute to minute. However, the men's reactions were almost funny to see especially the one of the pirate who had pulled her into their trap. He seemed quite angry to hear that she was just a woman, if she was right about the theme of their conversation. His reaction was totally matching to what she had expected from him.

Nova who had been following her in silence finally spoke out what was troubling her, "ah… Emma… how old are you?"

"Twenty-seven", she answered and stepped behind a merchant's booth when the bear-like pirate suddenly looked in their direction. She did not want to take the risk to be noticed before she would find their ship and she completely concentrated on it. She barely paid attention to Nova's words.

"And…don't you have anyone worrying about you", now Nova had made it. Emma stared at her in confusion and surprise and she finally had her complete attention, "well, I was just wondering how someone could life with always worrying about you."

"There is nobody."

"Not even a mother or a father?"

"No", Emma said angry in a voice that ended their conversation, "there is nobody."

Nova followed her in silence now. She actually wanted to ask more questions but she did not know how. She could hardly ask Emma if she knew her parents, could she? At least not at the moment. However, she would need to do it later on at least if she wanted to find out if she really was Snow White's and Charming's daughter.

Well, if she was looking at her now rushing into the direction of the forest that parted the town from the ocean in the south she could even notice something she could have in common with Snow White and Charming.

But similarities in looks were not proof enough to be certain that they actually were related. Especially not if she had to tell an orphan and parents who had been searching for her missing daughter for twenty-seven years that they might be a family and it could turn out to be wrong. Nova did not even want to imagine what they would have to endure if she would be mistaken about it. No. She needed to have proof for it before she could tell anyone about her presumption.

Emma ran through the forest always trying to make just as less noise as possible until they reached the water and she decided to hide behind a bush. The pirate ran straight to a ship harboring at an old wharf that looked like it was about to rot through.

"What now?"

"Now we wait", Emma said slowly, "I want to watch the ship before I enter it. His men will be distracted for a few hours more until they will just give up on searching for me. But I need to make sure nobody else is there."

"How?"

"I'll go closer", she said and made her way through the woods. Nova stared after her for a moment before she decided to sneak on deck herself first.

Nova would have never believed it to be possible but she definitely was furious. Following Emma through the whole town for a whole day always searching and avoiding pirates at the same time while trying to convince a woman who turned out to be the most stubborn person in the whole Enchanted Forest had been more than frustrating. Emma was able to drive her nuts and once more, she noticed how hard it was to stay with her instead of just leaving her. But her pride as a fairy was stopping her from running away from her task. Not to mention that she was quite stubborn herself and she did not want to admit that Blue might be right about Emma. A fairy giving up on her client easily was not worth her name. No, she would not give up. Well, not yet.

Nova followed the young man they had been following the entire time under deck sneaking through the doors he left open before they fell shut again since she wasn't able to simply appear out of nowhere like a witch or The Dark One. She needed something she could appear through like the open windows at Snow's castle.

The hardest door had been the hatch that lead under deck. As it had fallen shut again it had almost crushed her. She was too small to stop a door like that without using her fairy dust and she could not use it for herself but only for the people, she was taking care of.

She followed the young pirate until he stopped in front of a door in the back of the ship. He seemed very nervous and hesitated before he knocked with a trembling hand. Somehow, she knew that Hook had to be in there. It was something in the way the pirate was acting while waiting to be invited inside that revealed it to her.

Actually, she thought the pirate in front of her did not belong here at all. He seemed to be totally out of place like a sheep among a bunch of wolves.

Something moved inside the room and he was called inside before he opened the door. He did not step inside but stayed in the doorframe. Like that, it was almost impossible for Nova to get inside, as it seemed.

"What", she heard a man ask in a bad mood and assumed it to be Hook himself.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Sir", the young man said shyly while Nova went into a descent and snaked through his legs into the room, "but I just talked to Base and he confirmed that they hadn't found even a trace from her."

"They shall keep searching", Hook said standing in front of a desk that was parting the room. The sunlight reaching through the huge window behind it was lightning his back so it was hard to see his face. Nova flew up and hide in a shelf to the right side of the door. She could sense that there was something wrong in this room even though she could not see anything that would have been proof for it.

"And Blake", Hook said before his sailor left the room again, "tell Smee I want to talk with him, as soon as you see him."

"Aye, Sir."

The door shut again and Blake disappeared with his orders leaving Hook and Nova all alone in the room. It was a nice room for a cabin on a ship. The light streaming through the window lighted up everything even to the smallest spot. The desk in front of it was made of dark wood perfectly contrasting to the white of the white wood the whole room was colored in. To the left of the door was a single bed that was painted just as white as the rest of the room. It reached from one end of the room to the other but the smaller half of it that ended at the wall with the door seemed to be a box or something like that. In the right corner behind the desk was standing a huge chest bound to the wall it was standing at for sure so it would not fall through the room if the sea was getting stormier than usual.

Nova noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye and decided to hide behind something at best as far away of it as possible. Regina appeared out of nowhere sitting on the bed her legs crossed and her head pushed up on the palm of her left hand.

What on earth was Regina doing here? Had Blue been right and the witch hadn't changed in the end? Was she still the "Evil Queen" and Henry's disappear was her fault? Was that possible? Or was she here because of something else? But no matter what it was about it could not be something good since she was meeting a pirate like Hook. There were so many rumors in the world about Hook that it was impossible that nothing of it was true. And since the most of them were putting him into a bad light, Hook had to be an evil person as well. So meeting him meant nothing good about Regina and her changed personality.

Nova who was still invisible and small hid behind a huge bottle of rum standing in the shelf she was hiding in. The liquid inside the transparent bottle was shaking in the rhythm of the waves slightly moving the ship. From this place, she was able to see everything and Regina would not notice her. The witch would not notice her presence, or at least she hoped so. Nova was nervous after all.

Regina stood up, approached the chair in front of Hook's desk to take a seat without waiting for an offer and crossed her legs again. She seemed to be relaxed and acted as if she owned this place, but there was a hint of anger, pain and worry in her eyes if you took a closer look.

Hook who had not said anything yet did not seem to be too happy to see her. It was more as if he would have preferred to never see her again, "sorry. Where did we stop?"

"You had to make a decision", Regina said and stared at him, "so, have you made it?"

The pirate raised an eyebrow, "decision? It's not like I have a choice to begin with, do I?"

"No", the witch answered seriously even though Nova had expected her to laugh or at least to smile over her power in this situation. She did not understand what this was about yet. It was as she had stepped into a conversation they already had before Blake had opened that door for her without knowing about it.

"Why are you still here?"

"You don't want me here?"

Hook grinned, "it's not like that. It's more that I expected you to have vanished again, since you seem to have better things to do than to stick around here and talk with me. I enjoy that, don't get me wrong, but I thought you'd be too busy with more important stuff. Or have you missed me all those years?"

Even though his words were nicely and his voice was sending out his manipulating charms he had already used on Emma earlier that day, there was a critical undertone in it. His words were full of sarcasm and if Nova was not mistaken even anger.

Regina's glance turned icier if that was even possible, "I want to know your plan."

Nova leaned forward pushing herself up from the glass with her hands to both sides of her head until her breath fogged the glass of the bottle she was still hiding behind as much as she had to clean it up in order to see anything again.

She had to listen carefully now. This was not about Emma anymore even though that would already have made it important enough to listen carefully but about the whole Enchanted Forest if she'd discover that Regina was still the Queen she'd been once and was fooling everyone now.

Maybe she would even find out about Prince Henry.

"Why", Hook's grin vanished and he straightened his back just as if he was bracing himself for what was about to come.

"You'll need to break in without losing your heart after all", she answered, "or she'll make you just another one of her puppets and I really do not need that. Therefore, I need to know your plan to tell you what's possible and what's not. And maybe, just if you ask me really nicely of course, I can give you a helping hand."

"I don't need your help. I know how to break into a witch's castle. I've done it before, remember?"

"Indeed. And I remember that I caught you. Do you remember that", her voice was very sharp end even icier than before, "and if you remember how easy it had been for me to catch you in the process, I'm sure you understand how hard it'll be to do that job at her castle without getting caught again, Hook. She is far worse than me, remember?"

The captain sighed and leaned back in his chair. It was obvious he did remember, but it was also obvious that he did not want her help. Hook did not trust her. But Nova was not certain that he hated her. It was more as if she had offered him something to eat but he already was too satisfied.

"I don't need your help", he said after a little moment.

"Are you afraid", Regina asked mockingly and raised an eyebrow.

"Of what?"

"Of her", she said simply and plain, "or are you afraid I could betray you the way you betrayed me?"

"I'm not afraid", Hook said angrily but kept his poker face. He did not actually reveal what he was thinking and feeling but Nova had the impression he had said this to protect his position as pirate captain and maybe even more as a man.

"Then what are you waiting for", Regina asked and stood up full of enthusiasm before she became impatient, "why aren't you calling for your men? Where are they anyway?"

"There is something I need for my plan", Hook explained completely relaxed. It almost seemed, as he was even more relaxed the more impatient Regina became. It was just as if he had fun to provoke her and Regina did not even notice it and it could have been ridiculous if Nova would have understood what they were talking about.

"Don't tell me it's about your stupid revenge on Rumpelstiltskin", Regina rolled her eyes and stepped away from his desk. Her expression changed and she looked at him suspiciously, "or is this about a woman?"

"Why would you think that", he grinned widely.

"You're a womanizer, Hook."

"Jealous?"

Regina didn't answer him, "it's a waste of time anyway. Henry is far more important than any of this. Do you understand?"

Regina seemed to be quite threatening now. Even the room around her seemed to change. The light seemed to vanish and the shadows melted with the upcoming darkness around them.

Nova leaned back and pulled her arms around her knees tighter as if it could ease her fear. Of course, it was useless. The only comfort she had was that she had crept behind a box beside the bottle of rum to hide more carefully as soon as Regina had walked away from Hook's desk.

"Don't worry. I have a plan", Hook said keeping his relaxed mask just as if he was not impressed at all.

Regina became very silent. She just stood in front of his desk starring down at him. Nova had heard that the witch had always been the most dangerous when she had been silent and angry. Her cold anger had always been the worst she could come up with and everything now seemed to lead into that direction.

"Not afraid I could decide that I don't need you anymore?"

Hook grinned, "but you do or you wouldn't talk so much but just kill me, my dear."

Regina sighed and really calmed down now, which was surprising since Nova had expected her to attack him according to her words, "what is it you need for your plan."

"Why do you care", Hook asked once more and his grin vanished as he became more serious even though his voice sounded mockingly, "do you want to give it to me?"

"Do I look like your fairy godmother? Of course not."

"Well in that case you don't need to know."

Regina raised an eyebrow and it seemed, as she was not certain if, she would ask anything more, drop the subject again or simply punish him for his rudeness. Nova held her breath until the witch spoke again, "no matter what it is you're searching for, make sure to start with your task soon. I'm not just warning you because I'm so impatient but because we do not need her to find out about our plan and she'll expect something to happen as soon as she finds out Henry is gone."

"Oh, you're worried for me? I'm flattered", he chuckled his hand placed on his chest.

Regina almost laughed, "no, Hook. I do not care if you lose your head. But if she finds out it'll only become harder to get back my Henry and I don't want to risk his live any more than it's already the case because of a foolish and stupid pirate wasting my time and my energy with his stupid wish for revenge and his ridiculous behavior."

For a second Nova expected him to argue about the stupidity of his whish for revenge like a little kid, but he did not, "why are you so certain she doesn't already know about the prince?"

"Because there are only fifteen people who know and if I would have had to decide about it there would have been even less."

Hook raised an eyebrow skeptically, "and you believe that? We're talking of your mother after all. If Co-"

"Don't say her name", Regina interrupted him almost shouting, "she has cursed her name so she'll find you as soon as you say it, Hook. Unlike me she still keeps a grudge against you."

Hook seemed to be almost shocked to hear this. His face was pale and he stared at her out of widened eyes, "what?"

"She wants to catch you", Regina stated slowly, "or at least she wanted to twenty-seven years ago."

"But my men might have used it several times back than. Why didn't she show up here?"

"Because you must be the one to use it or at least someone involved in damaging my curse."

"I didn't damage it", he defended himself weakly, "I just screwed up the other thing you wanted me to do after bringing back your mother."

"Which you shouldn't have done the way you did it", Regina growled, "but you always tend to take your own spin on orders, don't you?"

"Maybe because I'm usually the one giving them."

"Not if you're involved with someone stronger than you", Regina stared him down, "and we both know that."

"And why doesn't she just show up here? She must have different ways to find someone", he asked ignoring her objection.

"Your ship", she answered as if it was obvious, "its magic is protecting you from any location spell."

"If that's the case how did you find me then?"

"You left your ship in the past two days for several times. Unlike my mother I have ways to search for you all the time without being personal invested in it."

"What ways", he asked curiously and frowned. Nova could not blame him for that. She wanted to know about it very badly, too.

"Let's say a friend who is always following me just like a reflection in a mirror is helping me", something about this seemed to amuse her quite a lot.

"And when did you plan to tell me about it", he asked annoyed.

Regina almost laughed, "ups, I forgot. Well, now you know about it."

Hook clenched his teeth together as hard as you could see his jaw move. He would have damaged something or even hurt Regina if it had not been the witch herself treating him like that for sure.

The light came back into the room since Regina was so amused about his reaction, "I give you twenty-four hours to leave this place and start your mission, pirate. Don't try me through staying longer than that. You're not as important as you believe you are after all."

Nova crawled back behind the bottle so she could see them again just as she vanished in a smoke of purple her words still hanging in the air just as if the room was repeating it for her so Hook would not forget. It was amazing to see but at the same time, it was quite creepy just as if she would never leave this place completely.

Hook did not seem as relaxed as before now that she was gone. He was still angry while he walked up and down the room, his forehead turned into a worried frown just as if he was a tiger caught in a cage. His voice was a furious scream, "Mr. Smee."

Nova placed her hands on the cold glass of the bottle again and watched him curiously. She had found out several things listening to them and most of them were still confusing her while others made her worry for Emma and Prince Henry.

First of all: Regina and Hook had a connection even though she did not really understand of what kind it was.

Second: Hook somehow had been involved in damaging Regina's Dark Curse, which was quite surprising for her. She had not expected anything like that and she was almost certain that not even Blue knew about that, which proofed the pirate to be a wild card again.

Third: Regina was searching for Henry with help she had not mentioned in front of Snow White, Charming, Blue or anyone else before, which could turn out to be a problem for her, when Nova would tell anyone about what she had just witnessed. She did not know if she should say anything. Regina was searching for the prince just like everyone else after all, which was proof that she had not taken him. However, it was confusing that she did not share her ideas and plans with anyone. So maybe she just wanted to find him to keep him for herself just as Blue would expect her to.

Fourth: she believed her evil mother to be the culprit and if she was right about this, they had a very huge problem since Cora was one of the most dangerous and nastiest people in the whole Enchanted Forest.

And fifths: Hook wanted Emma's help to take revenge on Rumpelstiltskin, which would be a self murder mission and now he maybe even wanted to involve her in searching for Prince Henry at Cora's as well. She had no doubt this was true, since his men were searching for her all over the place. While she had no problem with Emma searching for the prince, she did not want her to get even close to Cora. It would be best if that witch would never even hear her name. In addition, she certainly did not want Emma to be involved in Hook's revenge.

The big question now was, if she should tell Blue about any of this. If she would do, Blue would find out about her still existing connection to Emma. She would find out that she was still helping her even though she had told her to stop it because it would be pointless and then she might stop her from continuing to help Emma. In addition, if Regina would deny all of this Emma would lose her for nothing.

On the other hand, she could hardly tell Blue about anything without explaining from where she got her information and how she had been able to witness the conversation between Hook and Regina. Therefore, if she wanted to tell her something about it, if she wanted to warn Snow White and Charming of Regina possibly working against them with Hook, she had to reveal her secret and that would hurt Emma.

Nova frowned. But was this really about Emma or did she just use her as an excuse to break Blue's rules? Was she doing this just for herself or was she really doing it for Emma?

Her head started to ache of her wild running thoughts.

No, she would not tell Blue unless it would be necessary. Maybe it was selfish but she did not want to lose Emma as a client. She wanted to keep helping her and she perfectly knew that she would need her. And she believed that Emma would know how to honor her efforts one day, not that it was necessary. But it would show that Emma had changed.

The most important thing now was to make sure Emma would not come here. She had to keep her away from this ship and even more importantly from Hook. She had to convince her that the pirate was not an option for her and that she would be better off without him.

The door to the captain's quarter opened and a man with a beard, brown eyes and a red hat on his head entered almost worried the room. He seemed a little out of breath, "Captain?"

"Mr. Smee", Hook said slowly and respectfully but his anger was still boiling underneath all that, "why did this take so long?"

"I just arrived on the Jolly Roger, when I heard you wanted to see me, Sir."

Hook sighed, "is there anything new about that woman?"

"No Sir", Smee said nervously. Maybe he was able to look right through Hook's controlled mask and noticed his anger? Or it was just his usual behavior in front of his captain?

Hook clenched his teeth together and turned around to look out of the big window behind him.

"But I'm sure we will find her if we just have enough patience and time, Sir", Smee hurried to say in an attempt to soothe and comfort him.

Nova did not even need to wait for his reaction. Hook answered as soon as Smee had closed his mouth again and did not sound as controlled as before anymore, "that's the problem, Smee, we don't have time!"

The first mate raised his eyebrows in surprise, "but what's the matter, Sir?"\\\

Hook did not answer him, "without her it'll be a lot harder to find him." It appeared he was talking to himself now, "and to get rid of Regina will eat up my time or even worse it will cost my life."

"Captain", Smee asked completely worried now, "so now it's not just the Dark One but the Evil Queen as well? Do you want to get into trouble with every powerful person now?"

Hook turned on his heels and stared him down, "I'd hardly call Rumpelstiltskin a person and it's not up to you to decide who I will fight and who not."

Smee stepped back and looked away guiltily, "I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't want to do that. I'm just worried -"

The words "for you" hang empty in the air even though he had not said them.

Hook calmed down a little and sighed, "we have twenty-four hours left. Tell the men to return before sunrise and we need some to replenish our provisions before we set sail."

"What about the woman? If we haven't been able to find her during the past two days why should we succeed now all of a sudden?"

"Nothing", Hook said almost disappointed, "if we won't find her we'll just have to live with it. But there is still hope since we have found her today, remember?"

"You mean, you found her, Sir."

"Go now", Hook sighed and turned to look out of the windows again.

"Aye, Sir", Smee said and saluted to show his respect even though Hook did not see it before he left the room.

Nova followed him through the door. She had heard and seen enough. She needed to get back to Emma to prevent her from coming any closer to this ship then she already was. Her idea of hiding close to the Jolly Roger since nobody would expect her to do so had been better than Nova had thought it to be. Now all she had to do was to keep her as far away as possible for at least twenty-four hours. If she would succeed, Emma would be safe from Hook and she would be able to search for evidence for what she had just found out before she would tell anybody. And if Emma was not around anymore, Blue would hardly be able to draw a connection between her and her information. It would be perfect.

But as usual, it did not work out.


	4. Deal

3\. Deal

It was quite difficult for her to make her way through the dense undergrowth without being noticed by the young pirate she had been following all day. Strangely Nova had disappeared somewhere along the way to the Jolly Roger. The ship was nice but small. It had two masts and their sails were rolled up. The bug of the ship was colored in stripes of blue, brown and red. The lower half of the bug was all white. There was neither crows nest nor a pirate flag. It was no wonder she had not noticed them. She might even not have noticed them if they would have been anchoring in the harbor. The Jolly Roger was looking like a normal ship. It could have been a merchants or a traveler's one, too. Therefore, Hook had to put a lot of emphasis on secrecy. At least he did not want to catch too much attention.

Emma watched the young man running up the plank that lead from the rotten wharf to the deck of the Jolly Roger and sighed. Now she would have to wait and watch the ship if she did not want to run into unexpected trouble. She did not want to have to fight with his pirates again. She needed to get to him and nothing else. She wanted his head.

The problem was even if she would be able to sneak on board unnoticed it would be impossible to leave with an unconscious Hook especially since she didn't believe it to be possible to simply knock him out without drawing any attention of his crew. He had been a pirate for a very long time if she was not mistaken and Nova had had a point when she said that he was not the captain for nothing. There had to be a reason for all that and this reason had to be that he was perfectly able to take care of himself.

However, what should she do with him when she would get close to him?

She remembered the reason he wanted to catch her at all. He had tried to make a deal with her and she had not listened to him. Nova's voice was echoing in her ears saying something about concentrating on priorities. She had told her that she should not catch an ordinary pirate of his crew if she wanted to catch Hook himself. Maybe it was the same with Blackbeard. She had not gotten close to him ever since Graham had died except for today and that had been more of an accident than thanks to her abilities. Maybe she needed a pirate to catch a pirate. However, if it was about Blackbeard an ordinary pirate would not be enough, would it? A captain on the other hand…

Yes. Maybe finally it was time to listen to him and to make a deal in order to get what she wanted.

Emma rushed through the undergrowth to get as close to the ship as possible, before she hide behind a bush that was growing close to the wharf. There were barely any trees to hide her, but she would take the risk to be discovered now because even though she had decided to listen to him she couldn't know if she would agree to the deal he had to offer to her. If she wouldn't agree to it she would just try to earn the money on his head.

Her hiding place was not a good choice, she knew that. A simple bush was not much of a disguise but her experience told her that you hardly recognized what you were looking for if it was right in front of you, so she was counting on the pirates' distraction. Her green cloak and its hood she had pulled far into her face again would do the rest.

The young pirate came rushing back and disappeared in the forest again. Maybe he had gotten orders from his captain and had to search for his mates? She did not care. All she needed to know was how many pirates were left on deck and if they were taking their watches in a special rhythm.

Emma waited and waited until maybe a whole hour had passed without seeing anyone on deck. It was like there was nobody there, which was quite strange since pirates usually left their ships only guarded. To be honest, she had never seen any ships unguarded no matter if they belonged to pirates or not.

She took one last look at the forest to make sure that no one approached her and left her hiding behind the bush. Sneaking on board was easier than she had expected it to be. It was a little too easy which made her feel awkward and caused her to be even more careful. She looked around on deck, hiding behind everything she could find weather it was a mast, boxes that had to be taken under deck or thrown away or even the stairs that lead to the upper deck at the back of the ship. There was nobody there.

What was going on here? Was Hook as proud of himself that he believed guards were not necessary for his ship? Was he as full of himself that he believed nobody would dare to try to steal it or even sneak onto it? If this was the case then he was quite deluded especially since she had just proofed him wrong.

Emma waited for another moment hiding beside the stairs behind a box before she stood up to approach the hatch that lead under deck and was embedded in the floor just as she finally heard someone talking.

"He was strange", a familiar voice asked as two men entered the deck, "what does that mean?"

"I-I think he is upset about something", the young pirate behind Smee who she recognized at his red hat said in a nervous voice. He really was quite young.

They ran up to the hatch.

"I can perfectly imagine what this something is", Smee said darkly, "we still haven't found that bloody woman."

They vanished through the hatch and Emma took one last glance to make sure there would not be someone else suddenly showing up here, before she followed them under deck silently. They would lead her directly to the captain without even noticing it. It would be perfect and she would not even need to search the whole ship for him anymore.

When she had left, the stairs behind she heard a yell that sounded suspiciously like the captain himself, "Smee."

The pirate started to run to a door that was not as far away since the ship was not that big, but when he finally reached it, he was already out of breath. He opened the door without hesitating and vanished inside the room behind it leaving the young pirate behind and at her mercy.

It was easy to knock him out. He did not even notice her until she tipped on his shoulder so he would turn around to her. As soon as he was knocked out, she stepped past him and pulled her sword to wait for Smee.

She did not need to wait for a long moment when he already rushed back again. He did not notice her standing in the shadow of the staircase. He had only eyes for his mate laying unconscious on the ground as he already ran into her and stopped in front of her sword.

"Don't say anything", Emma whispered and forced him to step back to the door slowly since he could not see where he was going while starring at her, "bring me to Hook. Oh, and don't do something stupid like fighting back or trying to warn him, pirate, or I'll need to end your life and you know I can do that."

She slowly followed him to the wooden door and told him to turn around to it.

"Oh no!"

Emma froze and told him to stop so she could search for the source of the familiar voice at her right ear. Nova had to be invisible. What was she doing here? How and when had she gotten here? She can't have come on board with her or she would have told her to stop all the time.

"Don't do this", Nova whispered so Smee could not hear her, "you can still escape if you knock him out and leave the way you sneaked in here, Emma."

Emma did not want to listen to her. She had had plenty of time to think this through and she had made a decision to which she would stay true. There was no way back anymore, not for her. No matter what the fairy would tell her she would not give up now. She would hear what he had to offer to her and then she would make her decision one way or the other.

"What would you do before you'd enter that room without your Captain's order? What do you always do in that case", Emma asked in a whisper, "talk as silent as only I can hear you or it'll be your last words."

"Wh-what do you w-want to do", Smee asked braver than she had expected him to be especially since he had disappeared before she could beat him up as well that night he had attacked her with the rest of the crew.

"I won't kill him if it's that what you want to know", Emma answered hoping he would be more cooperating. She did not want to kill him and she did not want to knock him out because she might need him to keep Hook at bay, "tell me."

"I-I knock at the door."

"More often than once?"

"Aye."

Lie.

"And then?"

"I enter."

"You don't wait for his answer?"

"No."

Emma grinned, "knock a single time and wait for him to invite you in."

Smee froze. It was obvious she had been right about his lies. It was satisfying to know that. She pushed the tip of his sword in his back a little harder to force him to follow her orders and added a warning, "and don't forget: you can't help him, if you're dead because didn't do what I want. So be a good boy and do as I say."

Smee slowly and mechanically raised his hand and knocked at the door just as she had told him to. While they waited for Hook's answer Nova kept talking to her going her nerves through telling her to run away as long as this door would not be opened.

Emma ignored her and wondered how it was even possible that Smee did not notice any of this or at least it seemed so. Was she insane now? Or was this just a magical trick of the fairy? Emma bit it was the last option. To imagine becoming insane was far more frightening than the possibility of a fairy using magic on her especially since nothing she said sounded even slightly like anything she would think.

Smee opened the door. She had not even noticed Hook's answer since she had been too lost in her thoughts about Nova. The fairy would help to kill her if this would continue. What an ironical fact since she was trying so hard to save her.

"What's wrong", Hook asked annoyed and upset before Smee had even entered the room. He was big enough to cover her up at least a bit, so Hook had not noticed her yet.

"I thought I made myself clear, Smee. Why aren't you following my orders?"

Emma looked over the pirate's shoulder and noticed that Hook was not even looking at them. He was standing in front of the windows his arms crossed in front of his chest looking outside while his body created a huge shadow on the floor behind him.

Emma closed the door behind her back when she was inside the room. She was lucky he was not looking at them or it would have been a lot more difficult.

Before he could turn around probably sensing something since Smee was not answering believing in her warning, she used the reflex point at his neck to knock him out. Usually she preferred the spot at the shoulder to force them down and knock them out but it would have taken too long and maybe her beat would not be strong and fast enough. Through that point she could be certain he would be knocked out right away. The problem was it was not always so easy to find that point at someone's neck, which was the reason she could not use it all the time in a fight. Reflex points were great but they were nothing useful in an open fight.

Smee sank to the ground just when Hook turned around to stare at her. It was more than obvious he was not just surprised but impressed. Good. This was the basis, on which she wanted to negotiate with him.

His expression changed almost within an eye blink and he grinned. She could not really understand why but he seemed relieved what definitely was not what she had wanted him to feel at all.

"I'm impressed", he greeted her before his eyes went down to his first mate.

"I know."

He frowned when he looked up to her again, "you didn't kill him, Love, did you? You know I still need him."

Emma did not answer him but kicked Smee's leg. He moaned as if something was hurting him but he did not come back to his senses yet.

Hook's smile vanished and he eyed her up for moment before he said, "quite impressive that you made it here without anybody noticing anything."

"Impressive? I'd call it insane", Nova grumbled angrily into her right ear. As long as she stayed invisible, it was easier for Emma to ignore her.

"Why are you here", Hook asked after a moment of silence. He made sure she could see his hands, so he really was worried for his mate to her feet.

At least he could not possibly be worried for himself since he was standing too far away from her a desk parting them almost in the middle of the distance between them.

"Weren't you searching for me? I thought I'd skip the trouble of running away the whole time and I didn't want to leave the town yet."

"How did you avoid my men", he asked curiously and watched her carefully. It felt like he was not just studying her eyes but seeing right through them so he was able to see her underneath all that, the essence of her personality, her soul. She hated it. It made her feel vulnerable like a pet in a cage.

"Not my fault, you're pirates are that ignorant."

"Are they? Or are you just way too clever?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "there is no need to try to bewitch me anymore. I'm already here."

"Aye", he said slowly and nodded in the direction of her sword, which she was pointing at Smee, "but you still have this sword in your hand, Love."

"And there is nothing you can say or do to convince me to put it away again. So tell me, what do you want from me?"

Hook grinned, "well-"

Emma cut him off, "get to the point or I'll be gone without hearing you out." She would not be fooled again. She would not give him the chance to distract her long enough so his men could come back to the Jolly Roger and destroy her hopes of leaving again.

His smile grew bigger and this time it even reached his eyes. He looked like a different person like that. Somehow, she liked the other version of his this smile better.

"Fine", he said and gave it a thought just as if he had to decide where to start first. Was it another trick to make time? Not with her.

"Hook", she said in an almost commanding voice, "ten words or less."

His smile vanished as he held up his right hand to count his words while talking, what could have been charming, if it would not have been him she was talking with, "I need you to find someone for me urgently, please."

Emma raised an eyebrow when he added the "please" just to fill in the tenth word.

"Who?"

"An old… friend."

Lie. Emma did not even need Nova to tell her so, who snorted angrily into her right ear.

"That's all? The great Captain Hook can't find his own enemy?"

That was more than ridiculous. If there was one person in the world who had to be able to find someone or something it had to be a pirate.

Hook raised an eyebrow and his mood dropped. Therefore, he understood her sub message. Good. Maybe he would be more serious now.

"It's not that easy", he stated calmly but he could not fool her. He was definitely offended.

"Why?"

"What is this", he said to avoid answering her, "aren't you Question-girl?"

"I thought you wanted to make a deal with me? I at least need to know its parameters", she stated, "don't you think?"

"Good, Emma. Don't let him fool you", Nova rooted for her.

"Because someone is blocking every track I try to follow."

Emma frowned, "who?"

Hook shrugged, "I don't know for sure. There are several possibilities."

Emma stared at him for a long time. She was not certain this was the truth or not. Usually it was easy to detach for her, so this was a completely new experience for her. He was good, but she had already known that from their last meeting.

"What is your guess?"

Hook chuckled, "you'll have to understand that I can't tell you about my very dangerous enemies if you're not working for me."

Emma raised an eyebrow. If he believed she would run around following his orders like the rest of his crew then he was mistaken anyway.

"So you won't tell me who I shall search for either?"

"Aye."

"And what do you want from your", she paused before she pronounced the next word ironically, "friend."

Even though he tried to stay calm and controlled his anger and furiousness was almost shining through every pore of his body, "I want to kill him."

Emma piped, "if this is what you do to your friends then I don't want to find out what you do to your enemies."

Hook grinned, "are you done now?"

"Ask him why Regina was here", Nova prompted out of nowhere.

Emma frowned. Who? And why should she ask that?

The fairy seemed to guess her thoughts, "ask him what the Evil Queen wanted from him."

Curious herself now she did her the favor, "what was the Evil Queen doing here?"

It appeared that this was the question, he had hoped, she would not ask. His jaw clenched and there was something bitter around his mouth.

"She…", he stopped again. He could not come up with a lie and he seemed quite frustrated about it. It was something to see.

"It's not important."

"We're talking about the Evil Queen. Of course it's important, Hook", she insisted to get her answer.

"Scared", he asked starring at her as if he wanted to estimate her.

"Carefully", she corrected him and grinned.

"She offered me a job", he sighed.

Truth.

"But I refused."

"Seriously? I don't even need to make an effort to detach that as a lie. You know that, don't you", she asked a little annoyed, "you don't refuse the Evil Queen's orders without getting into trouble and you're most obviously fine."

"It wasn't an order. It was job."

"That's lame, Hook, and you know that. She doesn't offer she always demands."

"How do you know so much about her", Hook asked suspicious and stepped closer to the desk. He was afraid she would just leave again and it was obvious he did not intent to give her the chance to do it. She had noticed the shift in the atmosphere between them as well. He was trying to distract her again.

"Unimportant. Why was she here", she asked again and watched him carefully.

"Don't you think this is a little unfair? You want to -"

"What", she cut him off.

Hook sighed, "she wanted me to find someone for her."

"Isn't that ironic?"

He glared at her, "I said I couldn't find the person I want to find, not that I couldn't find anyone else."

"And who?"

Hook shook his head.

"You have a problem with that word, haven't you?"

He grinned.

"Emma, the pirate is moving his right hand", Nova warned her.

She did not even look down on Smee when she bored the tip of her sword right between his shoulder blades, "don't."

The pirate froze and Hook's grin vanished. Therefore, this had been what he had tried to cover up through talking with her.

"Who are you supposed to find", Emma repeated.

"Don't you think we should talk about our deal instead", he said annoyed now and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"He is right", Nova stated, "you need to hurry. The pirates might come back soon and Blake out there might wake up again any moment. I just wanted you to understand that he is lying to you."

Emma frowned. There had been no need to show her. She perfectly knew it herself.

"So I just need to find this", she specifically pronounced the word again, "friend of yours and that's all?"

"Be careful, Emma. He is searching for the Dark One."

Emma froze and stared at him. Was that man insane? This would be a self-murder mission and nothing else.

"Yes", he said and she had the feeling he was looking at her as she was about to fall into his trap.

"Will I risk my life through that", she asked just to test him again.

"Why do you ask", Hook asked and narrowed his eyes in suspicion because he had noticed something was different about her.

"I deserve to know, don't you think?"

"No, you'll not."

Lie.

They both perfectly knew that he was lying and he was perfectly aware of the fact that she knew about it as well. She raised an eyebrow and made certain Smee was not getting away from her keeping his hands where she could perfectly see them.

"What is your offer?"

Hook let out a breath, "I'll help you to kill Blackbeard."

Emma stared at him. So he still believed she wanted to kill him? Well, she could not blame him for that. Who would have ever thought that she just wanted to get information from him? And after all, she did not know if she would kill him if he would tell her that he had killed Graham himself.

"I just want to catch him."

"Which is even harder", he sighed.

"I don't care."

Hook leaned forward and looked at her as if he was studying her, "are you sure you don't want to kill him?"

"I'm a bounty hunter, Hook, not a murderer. I need his information. Dead people do not talk. So I need him alive", Emma stated just like she was telling a kid that one plus one was two, "and I don't want to waste anymore time."

Hook leaned back and studied her for a long moment just as if he was trying to discover if she was telling the truth before he finally said, "okay. I'll help you to catch him, if you help me."

"There is more", Emma said almost softly. She had been thinking about this for almost an hour and she had made some more additions to the parameters of their deal, "I'm not part of your crew. You can't command me around like your sailors. And you need to help me to get the information not just Blackbeard."

"Difficult, but fine."

"I come and go as I please", she stated, "so don't expect me to tell you where I'm going or what I'm doing."

"As long as it's not destroying our plans and you're here before we set sail, fine."

"And now the hard one for the pirate who likes to fool everyone."

He chuckled but kept listening to her.

"No lies or secrets if it's got to do with our deal in any kind of way which includes information about how we'll achieve our goals. And don't even try to lie."

"There might be things I can't tell you, Love", he said slowly.

"For example?"

"Information about the Evil Queen?"

"This is why I only included things that influence our deal."

"Fine", he agreed slowly and Emma already sensed another secret. There was something important she was missing out about the thing with the Queen. Nova was not of help either. She was not even sure the fairy was still there.

"I have conditions, too", Hook continued, "you must not try to kill or to deliver me to earn the money on my head."

"Fine, as long as you're doing the same."

Hook frowned, "you've a bounty?"

"What else", Emma asked ignoring his question.

He was still frowning when he continued, "you must not harm my men."

"Did you tell them either? Because I won't hold back if they attack me."

"I'll tell them", he stated, "I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't try to earn their bounties."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"So", he asked and came closer to her holding out his hand so she could be sure he would not attack her and to seal their deal, "deal?"

"That's all?"

"Yes", he said amused.

Emma stared into his eyes for a long moment before she took his hand and sealed it. They stared at each other for a long moment and he did not let go of her hand even though she whished nothing more but that. There was something intense in the way he was focusing on her that made her feel uneasy. She pulled her hand back but did not avoid his eyes.

Hook finally broke their eye contact and looked down on Smee who was still lying on his stomach. He had put his face to the right so he could breath easier stretched his arms to show her that he wasn't getting anywhere close to a weapon. His captain grinned and raised an eyebrow when he looked at her again.

Emma rolled her eyes and pulled back her sword so the pirate could get back to his feet.

"Thanks."

"So what now?"

"Now we have to find a boy for the Evil Queen."

Emma frowned and followed him back to his desk, "what? She was confused and it took her a moment to understand that this had been what she had been missing out in their deal. He had tricked her anyway.

Moreover, he enjoyed it, "that's what we have to do now."

"I thought we just agreed you wouldn't hide anything."

"I didn't. It's not connected to our deal", he pointed out while Smee touched the spot at his neck she had used to knock him out before.

"Oh, but searching for someone else for the Evil Queen first and putting everything else behind has got pretty much to do with our deal", she insisted.

Hook grinned like a smart fox, "yeah, maybe. But I didn't break our deal."

"No?"

"No. We hadn't agreed on our deal when I could have told you, so I didn't hide anything from you."

Emma snorted angrily, "who is that kid?"

Hook spread a map across his desk and glanced at Smee, "this must not leave this room, Smee. That is an order."

"Aye, Sir", the pirate said as he approached them as well keeping an eye on Emma the whole time.

She ignored them and waited for him to tell her everything impatient since he obviously expected her to help him in this matter. She was not sure she wanted to do it. The Evil Queen did not have her name for nothing and there could not be anything Emma would willingly do for her.

"His name is Henry."

Emma frowned. She remembered something that was connected to that name. She felt like she had heard it before, "as in Prince Henry aka the son of Snow White and Charming?"

Hook did not say anything but simply looked into her eyes. That was proof enough for her theory, "do you really believe I'd help a witch to take her vengeance?"

"It's not about vengeance."

"No? It's about Snow White's son and she hated her enough to cast a curse upon the entire Enchanted Forest."

"But she cares for the boy", Hook insisted.

"How do you know that", she asked skeptically and curious of why he was that certain about it. Everyone knew the story of Snow White and the Evil Queen. Everyone knew about what they had done to defeat each other and there were more stories about them out in the Enchanted Forest than anything else.

"I know her long enough to detach that", Hook stated and looked straight into her eyes, "believe me."

It was a simple request and still she questioned if she could really do it despite the deal they had just made. She did not know anything about Hook and he had just tricked her into something she did not really want to do at all. However, his eyes were proving him right. He was telling the truth so he at least believed this was not about revenge himself.

Smee who had been following their conversation like a game of tennis frowned, "and how are we supposed to find him?"

Hook looked at the pirate as if he had completely forgotten that he was still with them and changed his mind, "later. For now we should show our new…partner where she is living from now on."

Emma frowned. This was unexpected. He had even spread a map across the desk to show her something and now he all of a sudden changed his mind? Didn't he know where to search yet or was it about Smee being with them as he was actually part of their strange team?

"Come on", Hook said and held out his hand to place it in her back. When he noticed her expression, he pulled it back again and approached the door, "Mr. Smee. Go find the crew and make sure we have enough provisions for the next six weeks."

Smee rushed past them and disappeared in the darkness of the ship. It had gotten darker so maybe it was already around four o'clock.

Hook lead her through the whole ship showing her several cabins and the way below them where they kept their provisions until they approached a door right behind the stairs that lead on deck.

"What is in there", she asked and pointed at the door.

"That's the galley. It's Blake's realm, if you want to call it like that."

"Who is Blake?"

Hook opened the door and allowed her to look inside without paying any attention to the room himself, "I hired him just lately. He's good for nothing but he's a great cook."

"What do you mean with good for nothing", Emma asked and frowned, as she saw what the galley was looking like.

"He is quite inexperienced and I sometimes believe he is still too young for this", Hook shrugged, "but I can't just send him away somehow. His cooking is too good."

Emma looked at him in surprise for a long moment before she asked, "does inexperienced mean he doesn't know about infections?"

Hook frowned, "I don't know."

"Say did you guys ever have anything like an epidemic on this ship?"

"Why?"

Emma pointed at the galley. In the small room were hanging dirty pans and pots, spoons, forks and knifes were lying around on the messy desk in the middle and there was food that need to be preserved. Bread was stuck between the dirty pans and some of it even was growing molds. Overall, it seemed like that room had not seen any water in eons.

Hook's mood changed from surprised over shocked to furious.

"Mr. Blake", he yelled just as he had shouted for Smee earlier and waited for an answer.

Emma frowned. When she had gotten on board earlier, there had not been anyone there at all. Why would he expect this Blake to be here then? Didn't he know that they were all alone now that Smee was gone?

A movement behind her caught her attention and she suddenly remembered the young pirate she had knocked out earlier. She had totally forgotten about him. And he turned out to be Mr. Blake.

He stumbled around the staircase and stared at them trying to salute to his captain in a proper way but his vision was still too blurred, as it seemed.

"Aye, Sir", he stuttered and looked like he was feeling sick. Emma could not blame him for that. Seeing that mess of a galley had done the same to her and she had not received a hit on her head that had knocked her out before.

"Mr. Blake", Hook said confused of what his sailor was looking like for a moment so he almost totally forgot what he wanted to say at all, "what's wrong with you?"

Emma looked up to the ceiling as if it was very interesting as she felt Hook's gaze wandering up to her.

"Didn't we agree on not hurting my men", he growled, "I can hardly imagine that he has attacked you."

Emma grinned. It was funny but now she could pay him back, "that was after I knocked him out."

They stared at each other not willing to give up and let the other one win until Blake asked for their attention again, "Sir, how can I help you?"

Hook broke their eye contact reluctantly and started to scold his pirate.

Emma did not pay any more attention. He had shown her the entire ship. There were ten small cabins to both sides of it with bunk beds at the walls and while some of those rooms where able to take in four men, there were still some that could only take two since a canon was standing where the other beds would have been. But even though there were so many beds it was impossible that his whole crew was able to find accommodation at night even if some men had to stay awake for night shifts. She had seen hammocks in the bug of the ship so some were sleeping there as well.

However, where on earth was she supposed to stay? Even if there had been a crow's nest she would not have been able to stay there since the nights on sea would have been too cold. But there was nothing like that, so basically she had no place to sleep at.

Hook noticed her frown but resisted to ask what it was about, "do you have anything to deal with in the town?"

She looked at him in surprise, "why?"

"Well, I was planning to leave this place in two days. I would set sails earlier but after my men hadn't had the opportunity to celebrate and to repel their horns we'll have to stay longer."

Blake had rushed into the galley and started to work his way through the mess. Pans and pots were making noise as they stood in front of the door and ignored him.

"Do you really believe they'll be fine with me on board", Emma asked skeptically and watched him carefully.

"They won't have another choice", Hook smiled, "I am their captain and they have to follow my orders. Right, Mr. Blake?"

"Aye Sir", Blake answered even though Emma was certain the young and foolish man had not even heard a single word of their conversation.

* * *

Emma felt the sand between her fingers and under her legs as she leaned back to enjoy the sun. She was all alone, the sun was playing around on the water surface of the ocean and the only sound anywhere near, was the wind playing around with the dune grass and the reed that grew all around the small bay she was spending her time at now.

The past day had passed in an eye blink, as it seemed. Of course, she had refused to stay on the Jolly Roger as long as they would not leave this town and she would not have another choice but to do it. She had wanted to enjoy her freedom without limits as if she would have to explore them on board of their ship as soon as they would leave from now on.

After talking with Hook she had left the Jolly Roger even before his men had come back, in an effort to give them time to accept, that she would be part of their team now. She had found herself a place to stay in a stable near a tavern some of his men had visited that night. She had heard them talk about her and that they were not fine with her joining them at all. Some had even considered ignoring Hook's orders about not attacking her, which would be equal to mutiny, but she did not believe those ideas to be serious at all. It had just been their way to vent their anger nothing more.

Emma stood up and trudged through the mud flap back to solid ground. It was low tide and when she had come here before, she had found herself a place that reached into the ocean, could only be reached through the mud flap of the low tide and stayed dry. It had been a great time here and she had been able to relax, but now it was finally time to get back to the Jolly Roger to do what she had agreed to do and team up with the captain and his crew.

Nova had not shown up anymore ever since she had decided to team up with Hook. She had thought about her for several times ever since and she had come to the conclusion that her new friend might have decided to disappear forever for real now. After all she had pushed down every of her attempts to help her without any feeling of guilt. Maybe the fairy had just gotten sick of her. Or even more possible than that, she had given up on her. She could not blame her for that.

Emma reached solid ground and strolled back to the town. She had to buy a new knife before she would join Hook's crew and she had just some hours left before she would have to be on board of the Jolly Roger. Before everything would be different from what it had always been like.

The job as bounty hunter had been the constant in her live where she could always relay on. No matter what had happened to her and no matter how depressed she had been about her result less attempts to find Blackbeard and not finding the answers she needed desperately to make peace with Graham's death, she had always been able to find a way to survive. There had always been someone, she could catch to earn a bounty.

But now she would be stuck on board of the Jolly Roger, surrounded by men who hated her and did not want her around. Men who actually would prefer to beat her and drown her in the sea where nobody would ever find her body.

Yesterday on the other hand had been nothing but ordinary, in her terms of what was ordinary.

She could remember everything just like it had happened just this morning.

It was early in the morning. The sun was just rising above the treetops as she came back to the Jolly Roger. To her surprise, the men were already up even though they had spent the past night in a tavern near the stable she had chosen for the night. She knew it, because when she had entered it, she had heard them talking about her.

This morning they filled the deck of the Jolly Roger like a swarm of busy bees buzzing around their hive. They were repairing parts of the Jolly Roger that had been damaged or were almost damaged so they would not have to do it on sea, when they would finally break. They scrubbed the planks on deck until they almost sparkled in the tired morning sun, just as if they intended to win a prize for their ship's beauty or something like that. Others carried the barrels and boxes down the plank to the rotting wharf, she had noticed one day ago, when she had sneaked on board, before they load them on a carriage, that they had lend somewhere in the town before. She could imagine why they were doing that. For sure, they wanted to have them refilled for their journey.

Emma watched them for a while and noticed a system in their way of working. No matter what they were doing, they never got in each other's way. The men taking care of the planks never forced those to carry the empty barrels to stop or to stumble, just like the men repairing the ship never had to stop, even though some men were throwing boxes or barrels down for others to catch, instead of carrying them down the plank to the wharf.

However, no matter how long she watched the ship and those men, she could not find Hook in this organized mess, so she had to enter the Jolly Roger on her own, even though she was quite nervous about it. It was not about facing those men, she had beat up a few days ago, since she perfectly knew she could handle them, if it would be necessary, but more about this completely new situation. Well, there were more men than in that night back then and it was their territory, so in the end the reason for her nervousness maybe indeed was something like that. She felt like she was entering a cave of a hungry wolf pack.

Despite all that she threw back her hood and left the bushes behind she had used as a hiding place again, before she walked up to the ship, like it was the most natural thing to do for her. Some of the men noticed her, but most of them were too stuck in their tasks to notice her at all. She ignored all of them and since she had watched them before, she did not even need to avoid them, but simply did not get in their way as if she was coming on deck like this everyday.

When she thought she could just vanish through the hatch down to Hook, if he was there at all, the huge and bear-like pirate stepped in her way, his arms crossed in front of his chest and glared down on her, since he was taller than her. Just like when they had first met, his brown hair were bound back, but this time she could even notice the huge tattoo on his left biceps that showed an anchor twined around by an anchor chain. It looked threatening on the big muscle on his upper arm that was tense through his posture.

"Where do you think you're going", he almost growled and the men around them stopped working as if they had heard a whistle that announced a boxing match.

She could not stop herself even though she knew another reaction might be better than this. Before she could even think of stopping herself, the words were out and she could not take them back anymore, because he perfectly heard them just like everyone else around them.

"I'm looking for a fool who can be beaten like girl", she said in a voice sweet as sugar. Even though she knew she was just provoking him with this, she had to admit that she was enjoying this.

Emma had never been good at apologizing or trying to be the way someone would like it, so she did not try to please him now either. She could understand that they were angry with her for beating them and she could see their reasons behind it. However, all this did not matter because their way of taking vengeance on her for their partner had not been fair at all and she was quite upset about it. It had not just been unfair; it had been aggressive, violent and quite brutal. She had been more than lucky that she had made it back then. Despite that, his arrogant behavior now was just an addition to her anger with them.

His expression turned into a furious stare as the meaning of her words seeped into his mind and she could almost hear how he clenched his teeth.

"What does that mean", he growled dangerously and if his glance had been able to kill, she would had been fried like a fish on a stick the moment he looked at her.

"That means you hit like a girl", she said and shrugged innocently. Now that the kid already had fallen into the well, she did not need to take consideration anymore.

Base freed his arms and stepped up to her like he wanted to beat her, but she did not recoil. Instead, she stayed where she was and looked at him as if she was not impressed at all.

"Base", a familiar voice said from behind him in a commanding tune and stopped him, just when he was about to grab her to throw her over board, as she assumed. The colossus of a man stepped back again, but did not stop to try to stare her down. She did not care and she let him now that through the way she was looking back at him.

Hook walked up to her. He had just entered the deck through the hatch she had approached before and looked quite angry as he met her eyes. She did not care since she was just as angry with him. They had a deal, so there should not be anyone stopping her on anything on this ship. Well, maybe it was asked too much, she knew that, especially after everything that had happened between her and most of his men, but she had expected it to be resolved with his orders. What were his orders good for, if his men were doing what they wanted to in the end anyway?

"Go back to work", Hook ordered and Base followed.

When he was gone, he continued to talk with her by scolding her, "remember our deal?"

"Of which part exactly are you talking", she pretended to be dumb, knowing it would annoy him. After all, he seemed to be just as nervous about all this as she was. It was funny to see but definitely nothing his men should notice.

He walked past her to the rear of the Jolly Roger, "the part where you agreed not to attack my men."

Emma raised an eyebrow and followed him. She was acting amused, but her voice was giving away her anger, "strange. I don't remember that part. But I recall the part where you agreed to keep your men out of my neck so I wouldn't need to defend myself."

Hook finally looked at her and sighed deeply, "you can't blame them for hating you. After all you've done everything to deserve that."

"For protecting myself when fifteen men suddenly surround me to beat me up and kill me", she asked sarcastically, "you're right. I deserved it."

"Okay, it won't work like this", he said slowly and silently, "I think there is only one way to bring you together."

Emma frowned, "and what do you expect that way to be?"

"You'll see", Hook said and grinned, "all I say is: there'll be a lot of rum, games, stories and -"

"Let me guess", she disturbed him, "wenches?"

"You know that", he asked in surprise, but she could see it was just a bad joke, "didn't expect a pure lass to know about things like that."

"Pure", she asked acting confused, so she would not need to take him seriously about this, "you must be talking of someone I don't know."

"So that really was you in that tavern", he said more to himself than to her but she perfectly understood what he was referring to. He was talking of the night she had seen him flirting with that wench without being invested at all.

"How long will it take until we leave", Emma asked to change the subject. She didn't want to talk about that now. She could perfectly imagine what he would say about it. He would insult something as if she had stalked him down because he was that handsome. Emma turned around to watch the men again. They were still doing the same things she had watched them do from the forest, but from this perspective, they did not look like bees anymore. If she was not mistaken they had just been sticking their heads together a second before.

As far as she could see it, they were not even fine with her joining them a bit. It was more as if they were forced to accept her, but she had not expected anything else.

"Tomorrow at sunset", he answered uninterested before he came to speak about what really was of his concern now, "my men need some time at the tavern tonight."

"I thought they already had that last night?"

"Well, actually I believe you guys could need some time together to bond."

Emma opened her mouth to protest. She did not want to spent time with his men at a tavern where they would get drunk and she would have to watch them getting in touch with the prostitutes there. But he did not let her talk.

He walked up to her and looked deep into her eyes seriously, when he said in a silent voice, "look, before we leave I have to make sure that my crew works together as a team. That means they have to get along with you. And I believe that they would like you better, if they knew you better."

Emma looked at him for long moment, "that won't work."

He sighed and stepped back again, "at least we can try it. And by the way; you're underestimating yourself, Love."

Even though she was quite curious about what he meant with that, she did not ask. She did not want to give him the pleasure to achieve what he had intended to by saying something like that. Moreover, she did not want to reveal that she was quite bad at accepting a compliment.

* * *

She had no idea why on earth she had agreed to this. She did not even believe it would work and still she had come to join them. Maybe because she actually believed in what Hook had told her about "working as a team"?

The moment she entered the tavern their moods dropped. Instead of celebrating and flirting as if they were usually doing it in a tavern, they stopped talking and laughing for several minutes, before they stuck their heads together or drank their drinks in silence.

Emma walked up to the bar and ordered a jug of rum. It was good she was wearing her hood or the bartender would not even have sold her one, since she was a woman. But even though he had not noticed that she was a woman, he had obviously noticed that she was the reason the mood of most of his guests had dropped, "oh man, what did you do to them?"

"That's none of your business", she said knowing that it would not be a good idea to spoil the truth in a tavern if she really wanted to get along with them.

He looked at her in surprise, "have never seen you here with them. Are you a new member of their crew?"

Emma did not answer but even if she had wanted to, she would not have had the opportunity to do it, since the moment she reached for her jug an arm was placed between her and her rum. It was a woman's arm. This just mustn't be true.

"Hello sweetie", the wench said in a sluggish and flirty voice.

Emma stared at her for a moment, before her eyes wandered to a table where some of Hook's men were watching them carefully. It was obvious that they had sent the woman to annoy her and now they were waiting for their joke. Some were already laughing.

Emma ignored her and took her jug.

"Wanna have a little fun", she kept flirting, "what do you need that hood for?"

Emma sighed and turned to look at her, so she could see her face, "need anymore answers?"

The woman stared at her with her grey eyes as if she could not understand it. Her hair was felted and she was missing a tooth. Her brown skirt combined with a white shirt was dirty just like her face. She was very confused to discover that there was a woman hiding under that hood. She definitely had expected a man. Maybe she had even believed her to be disgusting or hurt badly enough, so she needed that hood to cover it up.

Emma waited for her reaction, that came immediately, "I don't understand. Why would they…"

"You mean, why would they send you to me", Emma asked what she could not even spell out as it seemed. She leaned into her and whispered in her ear, "Because they want to anger me. Isn't it obvious?"

The woman looked at the men who were starring at them in disbelieve and surprise, believing that Emma was flirting with her and a smile appeared on her lips, "fine. I understand. Wanna show them something they won't forget?"

"Hell, no", Emma said and came up with an idea. She looked around until she found who she was looking for, "but you know who would be really happy to spend his time with you?"

The wench looked at her curiously.

"That guy over there", she said and secretly nodded into a direction, so the men would not notice it. Maybe they were thinking she really was making out with her now. She did not know. However, judging their expressions they had not expected anything like this to happen.

"The big one with the brown hair", she asked dedicated to her job.

"Yes", Emma said and leant into her once more to whisper something in her ear.

"Seriously", she asked more than surprised and stared at the man.

"If I'm telling you."

"What about the payment", the wench asked and finally revealed a not just serious but also calculating habit.

"You've already been paid", Emma stated and left her alone at the bar. She walked through the tavern ignoring the men looking after her and pulled down her hood. She did not even need to turn to him, to know that the bartender did not like what he had to find out now. There might not be any possibility left she could buy another jug in this tavern now that she had revealed to him that she was a woman.

She knew the wench was following her and she could imagine they the pirates were looking at her. For sure, they still believed she was starting something with that woman instead of freaking out and sending her away or blushing and leaving the tavern, as they might have expected her to.

Emma leaned at a column in the middle of the tavern and took a deep sip of her rum, as she watched the wench approaching Base, who, although he was surprised, seemed to be quite happy about her arrival. He seemed even more blessed, as she took a seat on his lap and allowed him a deep look into her neckline.

"What was that about", Hook suddenly asked from the other side of her column and watched them as well, "was that really necessary?"

"Why not", Emma asked without looking at him and relaxed for the first time today.

"Because the rest of my men seem to be annoyed of it", he pointed out but his voice sounded amused.

And indeed the men who had send that woman to her appeared to be quite upset. Their game had not worked out the way they had wanted it to and in the end, they even had paid that woman for Base, who had nothing to do with it in the first place. They had wasted their money.

Emma grinned before she took another sip.

She felt his gaze even without looking at him, "what did you tell her?"

"That even though it doesn't seem like it, Base was innocent like a little baby", she grinned even bigger as he burst into laughter.

"Base might be a lot but not that", he chuckled after a while and watched how carefully that stupid woman took care of one of his members of his crew, "but I don't think he'll like to discover what you have said about him."

Emma looked into her jug and emptied it, "I don't care and I hardly believe that he will."

"Want something more", Hook asked as he noticed that her jug was empty now. It would have been easy to ask him to get her some more rum, but she did not want to relay on him even in this matter. She was able to get some herself even though it would not be easy, since the bartender would refuse to serve her, because she was a woman.

"Not now."

"I could get you some more", he offered politely.

Emma finally met his eyes, "don't you have something better to do than to stick around me?"

"I'm just being polite", he stated, but she did not believe him, "and I feel challenged."

Emma frowned, "of what?"

He grinned, "of your repellent behavior. You know we hardly know each other."

"Don't worry", she said dryly, "there is no need for that."

Base suddenly glared at her, when the wench leaned back from his right ear. Certainly, she had just told him about her lies and he did not seem to like it just as if Hook had prophesied it. Smee who had overheard her words chuckled and told the men around him who started to laugh as well. Well, maybe Hook had been right and Base definitely would care.

"You see", Hook said as he noticed it as well, "I guess now you really have an enemy, Love."

"That'll keep me busy on boring days on sea", she said and walked up to the bar again. She pulled a knife as soon as she was close enough to it so the bartender would not see it.

Even before she leaned at it, he shook his head, as if he wanted to tell her that she would not get anything from him anymore unless a man would buy it for her.

Emma placed her jug on the bar, "another one."

"No", the bartender spelled out what he had signed her before, "not for women."

"Last chance", she said silently and threateningly, "you've got rum, you sell it and I've got money to pay you. It's not that much of a deal."

"I won't", he said stubbornly.

"You've done it before."

He leaned closer while the people at the bar stopped talking and stared at them curiously of what would happen now, "not at my tavern."

Emma looked down at his hand, which he had placed on the bar as he had leaned closer to appear more threatening, and rammed her knife between his finger right at the place where they turned into the rest of his hand. He was not hurt but he obviously was impressed, since she had not even looked at it, as she had done it.

"Are you nuts", he asked silently since he didn't want the people around them to know that he was more than scared of her.

"Rum", she commanded instead of answering him and shoved her money across the surface of the bar.

He growled and clenched his teeth, but he filled another jug and gave it to her.

Suddenly a pirate threw an arm across her shoulders and leaned at her as if they were old friends. He was laughing all over his face and he was quite drunk. Emma frowned and looked at him leaving his arm where it was, while she pulled her knife out of the bar to shove it back at her belt.

"You're funny", he mumbled and held out his jug to clink it with hers, "I'm Blackpool."

It took her a whole hour to get rid of Blackpool who seemed to be one of the younger pirates but definitely was part of the old crew. He told her about his journeys with Hook and the Jolly Roger, but most of those stories she had already heard before. It was the usual gossip pirates tended to spread about themselves. But unlike with Blackbeard's pirates this crew seemed to hold back more than they actually could tell.

Blackbeard was quite lively and as he heard what she had done with the wench, he laughed even louder than he had done it before after she had threatened the bartender, who refilled her jugs even before she could ask for it now.

When Blackpool was finally drunk enough to fall asleep right at the bar, she left him alone again and made her way through the tavern. Most of the pirates seemed to be as drunk as they did not know their own names anymore, while others were playing games of cards or dice. Still others had weather disappeared with their wenches or were still flirting with them. Base belonged to the first ones and she was happy to have him out of her back.

"So you'll finally talk with me now", Hook asked right from behind her not being as drunk as his men at all.

Emma almost winced out of surprise, before she turned around to look at him again, "about what?"

"About your past."

"There is nothing to know about."

He looked deep into her eyes like they were portals to her feelings, thoughts and memories, "let's start with your name unless you want me to call you "Love" for the rest of our time together."

Emma sighed, "Emma Swan."

He raised an eyebrow, "Swan?"

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him, "do you think "Hook" is so much better?"

"That's just a nickname, Love."

She walked up to a free table and sat down. With Blackbeard at the bar, before she had not been able to sit at all and her legs were screaming for a break. She did not need to look at him to know that he was following her like her shadow.

"And what is your real one?"

"Killian Jones", he said and watched her carefully so he would not miss any reaction. When she did not show any reaction to it at all but stayed unimpressed, he continued, "let's talk about your bounty."

Emma looked up from her jug and raised an eyebrow pretending that she did not know what he was talking about at all, even though she perfectly remembered their conversation two days earlier. She just had not expected him to remember that little detail, especially not after she had simply skipped that matter.

"What bounty", she asked acting dump.

Hook grinned as he looked at her and leaned across the desk between them so she could hear his whisper, "the one you didn't want to talk about yesterday."

"I guess you've misunderstood something there", she said after a moment of pretending to think about it, "I'm a bounty hunter, which means I'm hunting for bounties, not that there is one on my head."

He chuckled and stole her jug to empty it. As he placed the jug back on the desk he grinned, "don't think I'll drop that subject. I'm on to something, I know it."

Emma sighed and looked down on the jug in disappointment, "actually I think you owe me another jug of rum."

"Oh, you're good", he said before he stood up and approached the bar to buy her another jug of rum.

Usually she would have refused him to buy one for her, as she had done it before, but she had wanted to distract him and this was the perfect way to achieve that. Emma leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her chest, watching him talking with the bartender. Whatever it was the man told him, it caused him to burst into laughter.

"So you let him pay for you now", a deep voice of a man said from behind her all of a sudden. She knew that voice. She had heard it just this morning and just like back then Base was upset. However, if she was not mistaken, he was in a better mood than this morning.

"Still in a bad mood", she teased and watched him taking the place where Hook had been sitting just a moment ago, "didn't that poor woman entertain you?"

His glare darkened, "what are you trying to achieve through fooling around with the captain?"

"I'm surprised you're already back", she avoided to answer him even though or maybe even especially because he was implying something she did not like at all, "where I have told her to particularly take care of you."

"What are you trying to use him for", Base continued to insinuate that she was tricking Hook into something to earn his money or to get a hold on a treasure of them or anything like that.

Emma took a deep breath and leaned across the desk to look deeply into his eyes, "you're not thinking well of your captain, are you?"

Base stared at her in surprise and if she was not mistaken, there was even fear in his eyes. Maybe because he was afraid this theory could make the round amongst the members of his crew until Hook himself would hear it.

"I have the greatest respect for him", he said defending himself, "I am loyal to my captain."

Truth. Not that it was important, but he was honestly with her. There Hook definitely had a loyal pirate.

"But if you really think like that then how can you even consider that I could fool him like that", Emma asked curious with growing respect for that man, who usually only attacked her.

"Even the greatest men can be fooled by insincere, evil and tricky women."

Emma leaned back again. The respect she had felt for him disappeared immediately. Once more, Base was treating her like an enemy of the worst kind and that was hurting her pride no matter how she looked at it. He did not respect her, so she could respect him neither.

"Base what are you doing", Hook said all of a sudden from beside their desk. Even though she could have seen him coming, she had not even noticed him at all. He placed the jug of rum in front of her and took a seat at the head of their desk, "when I left her she was finally in a good mood. Now you talk with her and the work of hours is gone."

Base looked down at his hands while Emma stared at him. She did not want the crew to believe she was just abusing Hook because she wanted to drain him like a body in the dessert. They had a deal, so there was nothing mendacious about her joining them.

"What is wrong", Hook finally asked when neither of them said anything. He was annoyed not just, because there was something going on between them he did not know, but because their relationship was worsening. He looked at her waiting for an answer, but she did not even look at him. She still stared at his sailor.

So he turned to the pirate and ordered, "Base, tell me what's going on between the two of you."

Base hesitated. He was visibly nervous.

As he started to answer, Emma lied, "Base is just angry with me, because I told that wench he was innocent like a baby."

Both men stared at her, Hook because he did not believe this, but understood that he would not hear the truth of them and Base because he had not expected her to do this at all.

Smee yelled for the captain and as he turned around in his seat to talk with his first mate, Base leaned across the desk, "why did you do that? I don't need your help."

"I didn't do this for you", Emma answered in a whisper just like him, "I did this for him. He can be lucky to have someone who is loyal to him with his stupid goals."

Base leaned back, "stupid? Do you even know what happened back then?"

Emma sighed. This question had been haunting her ever since Base had planted it in her head. She knew Hook was hunting for revenge and she knew that he was aiming Rumpelstiltskin in an attempt to achieve it, but she did not know for what. There had to be a reason that he would risk his life like that, knowing that his goal might be unreachable and maybe even aware of the fact that it would not help him anything. No matter what had happened to him unless it was about a curse that would break through killing Rumpelstiltskin, as Nova had told her, it would not help him at all.

Emma sighed and paid the merchant for the knife she had chosen to buy, before she headed into the direction of the forest. After her little talk with Base, her mood indeed had dropped as deep as she had simply chosen to leave the men behind despite everything Hook had tried to convince her to stay.

She had found herself a stable to spend the night. Always sleeping in a stable was not that great but it was still better than to stay outside anywhere. The straw was keeping her warm at night and it was much more comfortably than the hard forest ground.

* * *

Emma reached the Jolly Roger where the men were already busy again. Lunchtime was just over and they would leave in around four hours, but she could not see anyone of the crew until she entered the ship. It appeared the men had celebrated a little too much the past night even after she had left them alone at the tavern. Some of them were sitting and lying around on deck just as if they were still drunk or enjoying the aftermath of it. But she knew enough about pirates to know that it would not stop them from anything not even from setting sail.

"Ms. Swan", someone who she recognized to be Smee suddenly said to her right. He was sitting on the stairs that lead to the upper deck and shielded his eyes against the sun with his right hand, "he is already waiting for you."

He moved in an attempt to get back to his feet, but Emma stopped him, "don't worry, I'll find him myself. Wouldn't be the first time after all."

"But he's ordered me to bring you", Smee shouted after her as she already climbed through the hatch under deck. Soon after that, she already heard his rushing steps following her.

She ignored the men she could see through the open cabin doors and approached the door to Hook's quarter, when Smee finally surrounded her and took the lead. He had had to run to reach the door before her.

He knocked, just as he had done it when she had forced him to two days ago and waited for Hooks answer. She would not have wasted any more time with that. She would have just entered that room without caring about Hook's likings.

When they entered the room, Hook was already standing above the map he had spread across his desk once more. He did not even look at her but used a circle to calculate their next route, "so finally you're here."

Emma looked at him in surprise, "did you expect me to be here earlier?"

"Indeed", he said half heartedly and finally looked up to her. They both knew he was lying. However, it was an obvious fact that he was angry.

Before she could ask what was wrong he already started to let it out, "will you finally tell me now, what was going on between Base and you yesterday?"

Emma sighed and decided to explain it in her own words without causing trouble for the pirate, "he is just worried, I could try to kill you at night."

She looked around and frowned, when she remembered the structure of the ship, "by the way, where am I even supposed to stay?"

"Mr. Smee", Hook said and looked at his first mate instead of answering her, "get us something to drink."

"Aye", Smee saluted, before he left them alone and shut the door behind his back.

The captain, who already seemed to be in a better mood than before, surrounded the desk between them and made a gesture that included the whole room, "what do you think?"

Emma frowned, "of what?"

"This place."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and watched him carefully, "why don't you just answer my question? Where am I supposed to stay here?"

He sighed just as if he knew she would not like the answer to this, "here. In this room."

"And you?"

"I'll take the hammock", he pointed at a hammock hanged up in a corner of the room between the shelves embedded into the wooden walls, "unless you want to share a place with some of my men, you'll have to put up with me, Love."

She did not like this. Hook had the bad attitude to get excessively close to her and not just in a physical way. When others were running against walls he stopped right in front of them to search for holes to peek inside and that was far more dangerous than those others crashing into it. Base could not trouble her with anything he said as much as Hook was able to. She knew that even if those two would say exactly the same Hook's words would be able to hurt her. Around him, she appeared to be way too vulnerable. It would not be easy to share a room with him.

But on the other hand, it would be far worse to share a room with one of his mates. Hook had a deal with her and he would make sure to stay true to that deal if he'd want her to help him with his revenge, while his men didn't have anything to do with it and she'd be far more careful with them.

"And what now", Emma asked like it didn't trouble her at all and nodded in the direction of the desk and the map on top of it, "what's with that?"

"I was calculating our route", he explained and walked up to it again.

"Our route to where exactly", Emma asked interested and followed him, "we've got three goals after all."

"Aye", he admitted and looked at her across the desk, "but before we can take care of any of our plans we need to full fill Regina's task, Love."

"So now you'll finally tell me how you plan to find that boy?"

The door opened and Smee came back with two jugs of rum. He placed it them on the map at the corners of the desk and stayed to listen as well. It seemed this was what he usually did in a situation like this.

"Rum", Emma asked even without picking one of the jugs, "seriously?"

"It's fare safer than water, Love. Water can make you sick if it's too old, rum not."

Emma rolled her eyes and did not take the jug. She would need to think of something when she did not want to drink rum all the time when they would be on sea. She did not plan to be drunk all the time.

She looked back at the map again and noticed a thin line Hook had drawn into it, "so how do we find him? If I recall everything right there hadn't been even a single track when he had disappeared."

"Right", he admitted and grinned, "but finding him will be easy. We just need to check a theory."

"What theory?"

"Regina believes her mother was the culprit behind all this. So all we need to do…"

"Are you insane or what is this about ", Emma asked rhetorically. She had heard enough of the Evil Queen to know about her evil mother. She had heard enough rumors about that twisted woman to know that they should avoid her as far as they could, if they really wanted to survive, "Cora isn't someone you simply visit to check her rooms."

A sudden noise from above was disturbing the silence around them, but they were too invested in their discussion to actually notice anything of it. Smee on the other hand was something they could not simply ignore since he was in the same room as them.

"Seems like the men are back to live, Sir", he said and looked up to the ceiling.

"Tell them to get the ship ready", Hook ordered and kept an eye on Emma who looked down at the map, "we're leaving now."

"Now", Smee said surprised but when he finally met his captain's glare, he rushed through the door without saying anything more.

Emma looked after the first mate and felt almost sorry for him. He could not have an own opinion in this or he would break his captain's orders if she was not mistaken. However, something like that always depended on how strict a captain was.

Something caught her attention and her focus returned to the map between them. She frowned, "what are those red marks for?"

Hook swallowed hard, "those are the places I lost track of him."

"Him?"

"Rumpelstiltskin", he said slowly and watched her carefully. Hearing his voice when he said that name it was obvious he hated that man more than anything. Emma was not even slightly surprised to hear that. Nova had told her about Rumpelstiltskin and even now in this situation, she heard the echo of Base's voice in her ears saying, "do you even know what happened back then?"

"You already knew", he said curious, as she did not show any sign of surprise or shock. Even though she did not answer him, he continued, "why? How?"

"Why did you lose his track", Emma changed the subject hoping he would forget about this now. She was not disappointed.

"I don't know. If I'd know I wouldn't need you", he sighed.

"And what now?"

"We'll have to check Regina's mother or we won't do anything ever again, Love."

Was it really that simple? No, because maybe the price for bringing the kid to Regina would be too high and she was not thinking of her own life in this matter. She was worried for the boy. Because no matter what Hook thought, she was the Evil Queen after all and you do not simply change if you've done as bad things as her, especially not if your chance of taking vengeance you've been longing to take for a longer period of time is as close as it was for her now.

A loud sound disturbed her thoughts, the ship started to shake like it had sailed into a storm and huge waves slammed against the windows from the outside.

Emma grabbed the edge of the desk to steady herself just like Hook in front of her. They exchanged a short glance before they headed to the door and run up on deck.

"What the hell was that", Emma shouted through the noise of screaming men that reached her ears through the hatch that lead on deck. She was grunting, because it was not that easy to run through the ship anymore since it was shaking so much.

"We are attacked", was Hook's short answer before he stormed on deck and overtook the command over his men immediately. While Emma followed him to the steering wheel on the upper deck, where Smee was already doing his best to steady the ship before it would beat leak or run on sand, she noticed every man on deck started to follow Hook's commands immediately. It was impressive even though there was no time to watch it at all.

"Are all of the men back", Hook yelled while his men hurried across the deck to get the ship ready by loosening the ropes so the sails could catch the wind at the harbor and hoisting the anchor.

Something hit the water and a small wave hit the ship and caused it to shake heavily. It crushed against the wharf that broke immediately. Its bursting wood flew through the air and some parts of it even landed on deck.

"Smee, what are you doing", Hook yelled and grabbed the steering wheel himself now, "so is everyone back?"

"Aye, Sir", the first mate reported and ran over to Blake to help him hoisting the anchor.

"What was that", Emma asked the Captain. She was soaking wet by now and kept holding on to the rail near the steering wheel. Hook looked at her in surprise before he pointed at the sky, "that."

Smee's shaking voice from before, the scared looks in everyone's eyes and the shouting of the men should already have been warning enough, that there was something bad coming but to actually see the big, yellow, orange, red and incredibly hot fireball flying through the air right into their direction, was still quite a thing to see.

Emma took cover just like everyone else as far as it was possible on deck of a ship and grabbed something to secure herself, when the fireball missed the ship and a huge wave hit the Jolly Roger as strong as she almost was swapped off deck.

"Finally get up that damn anchor", Hook yelled. He was almost smiling. Despite all the troubles and dangers they were in right now, the captain seemed to enjoy the whole situation. He even steered the ship out of the small bay and did his best to avoid the still attacking faire balls, by predicting their flight directions. Emma had to admit that he was pretty good at it especially since the huge waves and the mist caused by the evaporating water were not helping at all.

It was strange but somehow the fireballs were not directed as perfectly at them as before anymore. It was just as if whoever was sending those at them had lost direction, so maybe the mist had not been as bad as she had believed it to be in the first place. Now it actually seemed to be of help for them.

The fireballs stopped flying at them and the sea calmed down for a moment.

Emma searched the sky for any new attacks, before she looked at Hook again, who was doing the same, "what was that?"

"An attack", he answered absentmindedly.

The men around them stood up again. Everyone was wet and grunted heavily. Most of them searched the sky, while others looked back in the direction of the land. The mist was vanishing slowly.

"Is it over", Emma asked even though she could not see anything that would be threatening them anymore. But she had the strange feeling that they were not safe yet. There had to be coming something. It could not be just over like that could it?

"No", Hook said and this time his good mood definitely was gone. He was locking back at the harbor they had left behind incredibly fast in her opinion and worries appeared on his forehead.

Emma followed his glance and noticed something that looked like a huge black cloud. But it was not a cloud. When she took a closer look and listened carefully, she could identify many black ravens flying towards them and sending their strange and creepy music across the ocean.

"What now", she asked starring at those ravens in disbelieve, while some of the men escaped under deck without waiting for an according command of their captain.

"Now we stand it through."

A second later, the ravens were hailing down on them, attacking their arms and heads, aiming for their eyes they had to protect with their arms, as if they were insane and had changed their eating habits. There was nothing they could do. No matter what they did weather it was hitting or catching them, other came to replace them immediately and on deck there was no way to hide anywhere from them.

"We need to get under deck", Hook finally yelled and his men followed his command immediately. They crowded around the hatch to escape the birds and created the perfect spot for them to attack at the same time, since no matter what the ravens did they always hit somebody.

Hook pushed her into their direction, but Emma did not leave him alone. She looked back at him hiding her eyes behind her right arm, "what about you?"

"I'll need to stay and steer the Jolly."

"But if you do that you'll die", she stated horrified of the imagination of all those birds attacking just one person.

"Do as I say", he ordered and changed the direction of the Jolly Roger again, hoping the birds would be distracted long enough for his men to vanish under deck. But of course, it was useless. The ship was way too big to escape the little birds.

Emma looked at the animals her thoughts running wild. She would not follow his orders. She had never agreed to it and she would not just leave him here alone. She had to come up with a solution. They could escape through leaving the ship behind and swimming back for two reasons. First, they had left behind the land behind too far to even think of swimming back and second the birds would not stop to attack them just because of the water and they might drown trying it.

No, their solution was lying in the nature of those animals. There was one thing every creature was afraid of if it could not handle it, no matter if it was a dog, a lion, a human or a raven. Fire!

Emma looked around being spared of any attacks for a moment since the birds were concentrating on the men left on deck, who were still trying to escape through the hatch, until she found a piece of the broken wharf stuck in a plank behind Hook. It was soaking wet. Damn it.

"Emma!"

She froze and stared into the direction the familiar voice of the fairy was coming from.

"What the hell is going on here", Nova shouted through the noise of yelling men and slowly became visible.

"I need your help", Emma stated, "you need to burn this for me."

"Burn", Nova frowned, "you are on a ship. You can't make an open fire here."

"Just do it", she ordered, "and make sure to protect the rest of the ship."

Nova frowned as a magical flame started to crackle at the peace of wood, as she spread her arms and pulled out a small wand that light up the ship.

Emma did not wait until she was done, but simply ran up to the men and threw the burning wood at the sail of the main mast. It started to burn immediately and hungry and destroying hot flames licked their way up the linen of it. The birds were scared immediately and winced back before they disappeared completely.

But the sail kept burning.

"I hope you did it well", Emma whispered believing that Nova was still with her.

"Don't worry", the fairy sighed to her right, "but you need to get away because this will take off soon."

Emma looked at her in confusion, "what will take off?"

"Get back to work", Hook yelled and she could hear it in his voice that he was quite upset with her, believing his whole ship would burn down now. The men rushed back on deck what was just as difficult as getting down before, and ran past her to do their work. Some even fished for water to put out the fire she had started.

"I helped you", was everything Nova said before she disappeared again, "no matter what you do, don't look back to the shore."

"Why", Emma grunted as she ran back to Hook.

"Because it could invite her and if you do my protection will break."

Before the men could throw their water at it, the fire simply vanished again, leaving behind an intact sail filled with the wind crashing into it immediately. The Jolly Roger shot across the open sea like it was finally free. There was no sign of anything attacking them anymore. They had made it.

Suddenly she was pulled aside roughly and Hook stared into her eyes angrily, "how did you do that?"

Emma stared at him for a long moment. She did not know what to answer. She could hardly tell him about Nova could she? She was her wild card, her best option to escape if she would have to and she did not want to share information with him that was as important as the fairy. She did not trust him.

"I just did what came into my mind."

He did not seem to be pleased at all, when he came closer until she could not just hear his furious whisper but feel his warm breath at her ear, "don't you ever burn her again."

Even though his warning was quite threatening, she could not stop herself. She frowned in confusion, "who?"

"My Jolly Roger", he said angrily.

"Your ship", with that the tension was gone.

Hook rolled his eyes, he was still upset, "she is a marvel."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "she?"

Hook ignored her, "just don't do it ever again, Love."

She simply sighed, understanding that debating about the importance and worth of a human life in comparison to a ship would be useless since he was thinking of the Jolly Roger as a person. She resisted pointing out that she had just saved his life.

Hook misinterpreted her reaction as agreement and turned to talk to his men who were already surrounding them, "how many are hurt?"

Smee stepped forward, "twelve, Sir."

"Mend their wounds and get back to work", he placed a hand in her back and lead her to the hatch, "we've got work to do."

As they reached his cabin, she could not hold back anymore. There was a question, which had been burning in the back of her mind ever since Nova had warned her not to look back and she had to ask it now.

"Who did that", she asked watching him carefully as he closed the door behind them.

His expression was more than dark as he approached the desk she was standing in front of, "that was her."

"Who? Regina?"

"No."

"Co-"

"Don't say her name", Hook stopped her as if he was furious with her.

Emma gave him a moment to calm down and look at the map that was pinned to his desk, before she asked, "why that?"

The captain frowned, "she cursed her name to find me as soon as I'd say it."

"What? Why", she stared at him in confusion.

He finally looked up to her. His face was expressionless, "Regina revealed to me, that her mother couldn't find me because of the Jolly Roger's natural powers. Her wood is enchanted. She said it was protecting me from any locating spell. So her mother cursed her name to avoid that protection."

"But you didn't say her name", Emma said confused and stopped before she could say, "I did."

Hook looked at her for a very long moment just as if he was studying her. She had the feeling he was missing something out that he did not want her to know. Just as if he was hiding something from her she should know. However, whatever it was, he did not tell her and she had the feeling she should not ask for it now.

"It's not important anymore. We won't use her name anymore and she won't find us again", he stated and straightened his back, "we got away. Now tell me how did you do that?"

Emma frowned, "do what?"

"Burn my sail without burning it."

She shrugged, "I don't know. I just set it on fire without thinking about it. Maybe it was the Jolly Roger herself?"

He looked at her as if he did not believe that at all.

"If the ship is able to protect you from location spells why shouldn't it be able to protect itself from a fire?"

"Because only her wood is enchanted, not her sails", he said watching her carefully. She was certain that he had the same problem as her. They both did not want to share all information with each other even though they had agreed on it when they had made their deal. And they both knew about it. But neither of them wanted to make the first step.

"So where are we going now", Emma asked to change the subject. She resisted the urge to look down at the map, because she did not want to be the first to look away. Starring at each other had turned into something like a battle along their conversation somehow.

Hook surrounded the desk and walked up to her, "Regina's mother lives on an island. That's where we start."

He kept walking, as he wanted to crash into her before he avoided her and walked up to a chest she had not even noticed before. He opened it waited for her to approach him.

"What is that", she asked coming closer and looked into the chest.

"That is everything I've found so far", he answered and watched her picking something up she had noticed in the chest without stopping her, "every track I've followed while searching for Rumpelstiltskin. I thought maybe you'll find something I dismissed."

She held up a small vial that was filled with a black liquid, "what is that?"

"It's a poison", he said down her right shoulder and his breath caressed her skin in her neck, "he won't survive it."

Emma raised an eyebrow. The Dark One was the most powerful person she had ever heard of besides the witch Cora, so how should a poison be strong enough to kill him? How did he even plan to get close enough to him to actually use it?

A finger touched a spot at her neck and she stared at the wall in front of her in surprise. He had missed the reflex point but still she was alarmed.

"How does that work", he asked as if he was more than curious, "what did you even do with me, when you hit that spot? Could you have killed me with that?"

"I'm a bounty hunter not a murderer, Hook", she pointed out feeling quite strange with his finger in her neck. He was way too close and this whole situation seemed to be out of place. He was making her more than nervous and she did not like that he had as much influence on her.

"It does hurt like hell, but it doesn't kill you."

"Can you show me?"

"If hell freezes over", she stated coolly.

Hook started to laugh and it send a chill down her spine. She did not need to turn and look at him to know that this was one of his honest laughs. It even reached his eyes. It was confusing her already bad enough without seeing it.

Her eyes wandered back to the vial in her left hand and to the strand of brown hair that lead out of a piece of paper lying on top of the things in the chest, "why are you doing this?"

Hook's mood suddenly changed again. He stepped back, took the vial back and revealed a tattoo on his right wrist, "why do you care?"

"Because if I'm risking my life for this I want to know how important this is to you", she answered without hesitation and noticed that there was a woman's face drawn on that piece of paper, as he placed the vial back in the chest.

"Why are you hunting Blackbeard? What information does he have", he asked instead of answering her. It was as if his eyes were challenging her to keep trying to get the information she wanted to have. Too bad that she was open to stuff like that, "is it about a woman?"

He looked at her in surprise. No matter what he had expected her to guess, he had never imagined her to ask that, it was obvious. She felt the urge to explain it, "the strand of hair, the picture and that tattoo at your right wrist…"

"You notice a lot", he said slowly and looked at her as if he had just discovered that he had to be much more careful around her, if he wanted to keep secrets from her.

"Occupational hazard. I need to be careful", she shrugged and waited.

But he did not answer her. The challenge in his eyes had disappeared and he even did not ask for her reasons anymore. Somehow, she had disturbed the whole situation with her conjecture.

He stepped back, "I'll take care of my men. Feel free to search through that chest."

Emma stared after him and had the strange feeling that she had liked it better when he had breathed down her neck and had made her nervous.


	5. A common goal

4\. A common goal

His head was hurting. Everything was dark. He closed his eyes and tried to feel his hands and feet. He wasn't even bound. When he got up to his feet he touched something to his right and a strange sound of something shoving across something filled the complete silence around him. He reached for it carefully and found it was a trail with food and water. Someone must have left it for him.

His stomach was roaring immediately. But could he trust not to be poisoned? He couldn't even remember how he had come here where ever "here" was. The last thing he could remember was saying goodnight to his baby nurse.

He was lost and alone and right now he would even have wished to see her of all people again, even though he didn't really like her. But mostly he missed his parents and Regina. They had finally been able to get along for him and maybe even because of him and now everything might be over because he had been taken.

He was scared knowing that he might not ever see them again. And he was frightened for himself, because he didn't even know where he was or who had taken him. He was all alone in the dark and even though he had always wanted to be a hero just like his parents, he didn't know what to do at all. He felt helpless and the only thing that kept him strong was his trust in his parents and Regina. He just knew they would come to save him and he had to trust that they would achieve it. He knew if he would lose hope he would be lost.

* * *

Snow stood at the window and stared outside to watch the sea, but she didn't really see it at all. She was too lost in her worries and her pain to recognize the movements of the softly moving water and the reflections of the sunlight playing across it, sparkling on the almost white foam that was crowning each wave.

In the past she would have enjoyed to see it but not anymore. She couldn't bring herself to it.

She hadn't left this room for several days now. She knew it even though she couldn't count those days at all. She only knew that the last men had come back from their search for Henry and again their search had been result less. Nobody knew where her son was. They had searched through his bedroom for several times now and never had they found even a single hint to where he was or who had taken him. If he would have vanished into a wall he couldn't have been hidden better.

She had survived and lived through so many obstacles and troubles. She had lost her parents to death and to Regina. She had been hurt, almost killed for several times, her possibility to get pregnant had been taken and given back to her, she had almost lost her true love for several times and she had lost her daughter Emma without having any trace of her, accept a small piece of paper telling her that she was still alive. But nothing had brought her down entirely forever; nothing had pushed away her legs underneath her like it was happening now.

Maybe it was too much. Maybe losing Henry had just been the tip of the iceberg? Maybe all this had still be slumbering under the surface all those years? She didn't know. But she knew for certain that she had never overcome to lose her daughter completely and she knew she would never do it. It was a part of her and she was afraid that losing Henry should be one, too now. She was afraid he wasn't fine. She was afraid he was all alone. She was scared thinking he might be hurt or dying all alone. She was afraid she'd never see him again because the moment they would find him, he'd be dead. She dreamed of his dead body lying somewhere and starring at her with opened eyes because she had failed him. She was scared like hell that she would never find out what had happened to him at all. And she hated herself for these thoughts, because she knew they were destroying her hopes and her ability to hope, but she couldn't stop thinking like that.

She could almost feel how her hope was leaving her. It was almost physically. It felt like it was sucked out of her into the ground to her feet and along with it, her strength and willpower was vanishing as well. Everything that was left was weakness, pain, sorrow and darkness overtaking her heart like a dark fist grabbing for it. She was afraid she would waste her time and her concentration on this instead of searching for Henry and she couldn't stand to be stuck in this castle.

When they had lost Emma they had left their castle to search for her themselves for more than a month. They had forgotten about their tasks and responsibilities, they had stopped to care for the people they had to take care of and they had lost themselves in searching for their child, until that message had shown up. It had been a wake up call and they had barely made it back in time to prevent to lose their positions. Sure it had been meaningless and she was asking the decision to come back here over and over, but she was a royal after all. She had been raised as one and so she just couldn't let down the people that were entrusted to her.

This time they hadn't taken the risk and it ate her up from the inside. She felt hopeless and helpless because she didn't do anything but wait. It seemed to be pointless to sit around and wait for someone to finally tell her that they had found a track or even the slightest hint of where Henry could be. She felt like she had lost herself along with Henry.

Someone suddenly pulled her back and she sank into the warm, familiar and comforting hug of her husband, which seemed to be the only thing to ease her pain and her suffering.

He kissed her cheek leaning over her right shoulder and whipped away the tears she hadn't even noticed running down her face.

Charming could always help her. He was always the solution to her troubles. He was always there for her and was the only one to catch her when she fell like now.

"Snow", he whispered into her right ear and nestled his had on her shoulder where her neck turned into it, "we will find him. Don't give up."

"And how", she cried her nerves being raw, while she tried to keep holding on to the last bit of hope, "we couldn't even find Emma." She sobbed as heavily as her chest hurt and her shoulders were shaking as badly as Charming had to lean back again, "we've never seen her again."

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms tighter around her, "but we will. And unlike back then Regina is helping us instead of fighting us. We don't need to worry about her and with her magical abilities we might really be able to find him."

"You don't even trust her", she stated and her voice changed between several octaves.

"But I trust in what she feels for Henry", he insisted, "and some of our old friends have arrived here to help us as well."

"Who", she asked almost mechanically feeling pushed back in time to when she had heard him say the same before. Back then Emma had been missing just one day and she had still been full of hope to find her. Now she wasn't even curious anymore.

"Ruby, Lancelot and the dwarfs. He has brought a woman named Mulan along and then there is an old friend of his. His name is Robin Hood. He's brought his merry men along. And Ariel is waiting down at the harbor", he answered detailed, "Blue even brought some of her fairies along."

"So?"

Charming let go of her and her back was freezing immediately. He surrounded her and took her shoulders to support and encourage her and looked deep into her eyes, "so we will find him, Snow."

She held back her stubborn and hurting words. She stopped herself from telling him, that he had already told her that when they had lost Emma and that they hadn't found her as well. She resisted the urge to yell at him and tell him that no matter what they had done, it had been useless and that it would be useless again now.

Instead of telling him that entire she allowed him to pull her along. They left Henry's room behind and she asked herself, when he would start to avoid this room as well. With Emma back then it had taken him two weeks to avoid it. She knew he hadn't done it because he didn't care for her anymore or because he wanted to forget her, but because it had been too painful for him to even enter that room. Even though she could understand it, she didn't want this to happen with Henry, too.

They didn't say anything anymore until they reached the round table where everyone was already waiting for them. Only Regina didn't look at them but at the ocean just like Snow had done it before, when they entered the room and walked up to their round table.

It was true, there were the dwarfs dressed in their usual brown and green trousers and jackets combined with their hats in brown, Blue, like always dressed in her sparkling blue dress, Cricket, standing in front of the megaphone, a woman who was ought to be Mulan dressed in an armor that was of a strange stile she hadn't ever seen before in the Enchanted Forest, Lancelot in his usual grey armor with the emblem on his chest, Ruby dressed in her red coat and Granny with her crossbow lying on the desk in front of her, Regina, dressed in a white dress that was tightly to her skin and a blue bolero to cover her shoulders, even though she wasn't sitting but standing at the windows, Guipetto and Pinocchio, who was still a kid thanks to the curse, and some strange men dressed all in green and brown like they had just left a forest they had been hiding at. Only one of them was sitting at the table. He kept watching Regina like he was confused by her, had brown hair and eyes and was dressed in brown and green. They ought to be Robin Hood and his merry men.

Snow tried her best to stay strong in front of all of those people even though most of them were close friends. She took a seat while Charming stopped standing beside her chair. He looked at the strangers for a second before he focused on the man sitting at their table, "you must be Robin Hood. Lancelot already told us you'd try to help us."

The man nodded slightly. His eyes were brown just like his hair and if she wasn't mistaken she could see something like regret and compassion in them, "me and my men."

"Thank you", Charming stated and looked at all of them, "all of you."

"So what now", Robin asked him, "where have you already been searching? What have you already done?"

Snow gritted her teeth to stop herself from saying that she hadn't done anything yet, because she was stuck in this damned castle, which had been her home once, to full fill stupid, pointless and unnecessary duties nobody could actually care about in her situation. But she held it back, because she was the Queen here and she didn't want to hurt her friends, who were doing their best to help them.

"We've send out guards", Charming answered, "they searched the whole land and some even got in contact with people of other realms. Nothing."

"I send out some of my fairies and we keep checking if we can notice him somewhere", Blue sighed, "but even though we should, we haven't found him yet."

"Why should you have found him yet", Robin asked and frowned.

Regina finally stepped back from the window and stared him down unfriendly. It was obvious she didn't like him to be here at all, "of course because he is all alone, hasn't anybody he knows with him, might be scared like hell, if he isn't even hurt and is just eleven years old. Do you need anymore reasons for a fairy to notice a boy like him in this situation? If not we could finally stop wasting time with this ridiculous nonsense and start to search for him."

Charming opened his mouth to say something but Robin got to his feet and leaned at the desk, "this ridiculous nonsense as you call it is necessary for us to understand where we need to search. What have you been doing the whole time for example? And why can't anybody notice something from the prince if it would be that natural? Did you know that most people are taken by the ones they are close to?"

Everyone stared at her as they heard those words. Regina snorted and shook her head in disbelieve, "do you really think I would be here if I had taken him again? I would definitely have something better to do than to stick around here and listen to your stupid ideas if I had him."

"If those ideas are so stupid why don't you come up with a good one yourself then", Blue asked without looking at her.

"At least I noticed that there has to be something hiding him from us", Regina said coldly, "or why do you think your fairies couldn't find him?"

"What about your magic", Jiminy Cricket asked through his huge megaphone, "have you been able to locate him?"

Regina sighed and turned back at the window again crossing her arms in front of her chest, "no." It was obvious she hadn't wanted to admit this.

"But who could be powerful enough to fool all of you", Ruby asked, "I mean, we've been fighting you in the past and we've hardly ever managed to get free of you. And Blue, you and your fairies have always found the ones in need and Henry definitely must be one."

"Rumpelstiltskin", Doc asked after a moment of thinking about it. He seemed to be scared of the possibility of it being true while bashful turned pale as he heard that name.

"But why would he do that", Granny asked into the round.

"What about this Maleficent", Dopey asked, "I heard her sleeping curses were brutal."

The rest of the dwarfs and Granny rolled their eyes, while Cricket said politely, "Dopey, that was the same sleeping curse Regina used on Snow, remember? And Maleficent hasn't got anything to do with us."

Regina let out a breath.

"Regina", Snow, who was able to read her better than anyone in this room, since she knew her the longest, asked slowly, "she has nothing to do with anyone of us, has she?"

The witch turned around to face them, "actually I bet her up to get the Dark Curse." She noticed the shocked expression in everyone's faces. They were shocked that she hadn't even stopped to threaten others like her in the past. She cleared her throat to explain, "but she can't have done it. I cursed her so she is frozen in her dragon form."

"I've seen that form", Charming said slowly. Actually he was the only one besides Regina who wasn't shocked of those information, "even though she is incredibly dangerous like that, she could never have taken Henry without destroying half of the castle."

"Fine", Lancelot said after a moment of silence in which everyone had been following his own thoughts, "but who else could it be?"

Blue, who had been silence for the entire time now, stopped watching Regina and took a deep breath, before she said, "I might have an idea."

Everyone was starring at her. Jiminy Cricket was the first one to snap out of it, but he just waited for her to continue, like everyone else watching her carefully. He knew what she would say now. She had talked with him about it in private before and he had advised her not to mention everything of it. He was both curious and nervous about what she would say now. He was afraid it could damage the bond that had emerged between Snow White, Charming and Regina. The bond that had finally brought peace to them.

"One of my fairies came up with an interesting idea", she said ignoring the stares, "Nova believes it might be Cora."

Nova, who was floating invisibly above their heads, turned all red and finally stopped starring at Grumpy, who winced when he heard her name. She hadn't wanted to come here at all, but Blue had insisted on it, since she was the only one being able to tell them what she had seen on the Jolly Roger. Sure, she hadn't told Blue about the circumstances under which she had gotten that idea, just like she hadn't told her about the conversation between Regina and Hook, but she could convince them that it could be an actual possibility that Cora was behind all this, since everyone knew about Blue's feelings and thoughts about Regina.

Her eyes wandered back to Grumpy's and she noticed that he wasn't paying any attention to them anymore. Instead of that he simply stared at the surface of the desk, but it felt like he wasn't seeing it at all. He was far gone in his thoughts and it seemed like he was remembering something that was quite tough for him. Nova knew what it was about. She didn't need to ask about it, since she kept thinking about it all the time herself. It was the time they had shared together he was remembering. And their parting.

Regina turned around to them and stared at the fairy that still refused to look at her. Was this just a coincidence or had that stupid fairy ordered someone to spy on her? If that was the case how much did she know? Did she know about Hook as well?

"But why would she do that", Mulan asked, since she didn't know what had happened between Regina, her mother and Snow White and frowned, "what use would she have of it?"

"She could hurt both of us in a single move", Regina pointed out. She was upset because this had gotten through now. She would have preferred to check that theory on her own first. Maybe she would have been able to convince her mother to give him back without anyone noticing it, but now she didn't have a choice but to pick a side and of course it was Henry's even though she felt split in half, because despite everything that had happened between her mother and her, Cora was still her mother.

But her biggest problem was that she might be losing her surprise effect by using Hook, because Cora might notice that she had gotten into focus in this matter if so many people would know about it.

"Is that really possible", Snow asked slowly, "it's been such a long time for I even saw her. I was still a child when she suddenly disappeared."

Regina rolled her eyes, "she "suddenly disappeared", because I send her into another world to finally be free of her and her control over me."

Everyone stared at her like they couldn't believe this at all.

Robin Hood was the first to speak up again, "and why is she back here then?"

Regina sighed and turned around to the window again. She didn't want to talk about that now. Her back-story wasn't the right subject to discuss with all those people and for sure not with a stranger like him. And the moment wasn't chosen well either. They had to think about Henry and nothing else. Despite that she already knew what their reactions would be like. They wouldn't understand her for trying to kill her mother, before she would have changed everything to her liking. She knew they would be disgusted to her that she had tried to kill her own mother, so she hadn't told anyone that she actually had killed her own father for that curse. It was still haunting her and she knew it might never change. Her father had been the most precious person in her life, especially after Daniel had been murdered by her mother. It had hurt like hell as she had to find out that she had killed him for nothing. That his death had been wasted because that stupid curse hadn't kept what it had been promising.

"So what do we do now", Charming asked, "we can hardly show up on her doorstep and ask her if she could be so polite and give Henry back to us, can we?"

"I think we should stick to the other ones you've mentioned", Regina said slowly. If they would she could concentrate on her mother and they wouldn't waste any time focusing on the wrong person. They could check on both Rumpelstiltskin and Cora at the same time and nobody would disturb her, "Rumpelstiltskin could be an option as well. He wanted me to use the curse back then and he was incredibly upset when it didn't work out." He had been the one to come up with the idea of cursing her mother's name in the first place even though he didn't know why the curse had failed just like her.

"I want to check the prince's bedchamber. Maybe I can find something you didn't", Robin stated and stood up.

Regina turned around to him, "and what could you possibly notice that I didn't?"

He grinned but didn't answer her just like he knew it would make her furious. Instead he turned to his men, "mix yourselves among the people and try to find out everything possible from them about the prince."

"But don't reveal that he is missing", Regina added and walked up to them, "we don't need to warn whoever is hiding behind this." She walked past them and left the room.

Robin followed her already guessing where she would go now. He was right, "I didn't expect you to join me."

"I'm just curious of what an ordinary man like you could notice that was missed by my magic, the fairies, Snow and Charming and maybe everyone else", she stated and lead the way up some stairs.

Robin followed her for a moment in silence until they reached a corridor with three wooden doors. As she opened one of them and waited for him to walk inside first, he stopped right in front of her in the doorway and looked at her amused, "maybe something you wouldn't even think about."

Regina frowned, "what could that be?"

"A stone on the floor, a scratch in the fitting of the fireplace or simply a picture hanging at a strange spot, let's say, behind a shelf", he said and entered the room.

Regina looked after him and watched how he searched through the whole room without touching or even moving anything. As he came to the fireplace he seemed to decide to break the silence that was hanging in the air between them like a heavy cloud, "what's wrong with your mother and you?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"I'm curious and you don't really have anything else to do right now, have you", he walked up to the bed and checked not just the blanket and the pillows but looked underneath it and climbed on top of the side table to take a look on the top of the canopy bed.

Regina snorted, "I'm not here for nothing."

"And what is the reason you are here", he asked in disinterest and walked up to the dressing room.

"I need to make sure you don't destroy any possible tracks of course."

He came back outside and looked at her like he was disappointed, "how should that even be possible, since you declared there was nothing I could find anyway. You want to make sure I won't steal something because you look down on me."

"Why should I?"

He walked up to her, "you definitely do."

She sighed and stepped back, "did you find something?"

"No", he answered, "there weren't even ashes on the floor around the fireplace."

Regina turned on her heels. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. Robin Hood had had a point when he had told her he might notice something none of them had before, because his life was a completely different one from theirs. But he had failed as well. There was nothing they had missed out. There wasn't a new track.

"You don't need to feel offended", she said even though she didn't know why she wanted to tell him this, "I'm just treating you like everyone else at that round table."

"No, you don't", he said and followed her outside again, "you're treating me like you were wishing I wasn't here at all. The question is, why?"

Regina didn't answer him but stepped back. She walked down the hall and didn't care that he was following her anyway. She didn't want to worsen their "relationship" through telling him that she was afraid he could run to her mother to tell her everything about Henry's missing and her desperate search for him. She didn't want to get another enemy in this castle, because she already had enough of them, since unless what Snow and Charming were thinking about her thanks to Henry, their friends still hated her.

Charming walked up to them and saved her from anymore questions without even knowing it, "did you find something?"

He hurried past Regina like she wasn't really there only focusing on Robin and embroiled him in a conversation. She was just fine with it. Like that she could find a place in this castle where she could be alone for a while. She needed to calm down and take a breath.

* * *

It was already late when she came back on deck. She had spent the rest of the day searching through Hook's chest, checking on maps and his scribbles on them, reading his notes and looking at that picture of the woman with the dark hair. She had looked at this picture a lot more often than she would have usually done it. Hook had made her quite curious with his strange reaction to her questions about her and she couldn't stop wondering what she had been like, that he obviously had cared for her as much as he had kept a strand of her hair and this drawing in addition to his tattoo with her name. She was certain that the Milah on his tattoo was the same as the woman on that drawing.

The way she knew him she would never have expected him to be as sentimental or at least to care as much about a woman, as to keep as many keepsakes of her as he actually did. And then there was this strange sentence of Base that kept running wild in her thoughts. It was true. She didn't know what had happened to him, so he would give everything to achieve a revenge on Rumpelstiltskin that wouldn't just destroy him but wouldn't help him at all.

She knew that no matter what he would do, no matter if he would achieve his vengeance it wouldn't change anything. The pain or his problems or whatever it was that urged him to this, wouldn't just disappear, when he would pay it back to the Dark One. His life wouldn't change permanently all of a sudden just because he would be feeling better for maybe an hour, if he would survive.

She stared at the mainmast in front of her ignoring the men on deck that crowded in a corner of the deck where Blake was giving out their meals. That was it. This whole revenge thing wasn't about the revenge itself. It was a self-murder mission, nothing else. He didn't plan to survive. He was too smart to believe that he would find a way to survive.

"Have you found something useful", he suddenly asked from behind her and brought her back to reality. She hadn't even noticed him approaching her in the first place.

Just because she had made a deal with Hook and had spent an evening with his crew at a tavern didn't mean she didn't need to be careful anymore. She scolded herself and leaned at the railing, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "nothing at all. But I didn't expect anything in the first place anyway."

"Why that", he asked mirroring her posture at the railing while looking at her carefully. He was curious and maybe he even was a little disappointed because he had hoped for results.

"Because if it really is true that somebody has cursed you or something like that so you wouldn't find any helpful clues, you couldn't write them down, could you? You would write down unimportant stuff that won't help you, because you wouldn't notice the important things."

Hook sighed deeply and looked out to the sea as he mumbled, "sounds logical."

Even though she knew what all this was about now, even though she was certain, that he didn't just want to take revenge on Rumpelstiltskin but to die in the process if it would be necessary and he seemed to count on that, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him, seeing him like that now. It was strange. It was confusing.

"You mentioned something about a woman called Belle in your notes", she found herself saying slowly, "how did you find her and why did you believe her to be important for you?"

Hook frowned at her like it was hard for him to remember, who she was talking about, "I had heard rumors of a woman defeating a beast and I knew that some people were talking of him as such. So I started to research for anything about that beast and the woman who beat it."

"What did you find out", Emma asked curious and watched him carefully. She didn't want to miss anything and she didn't want to be fooled by him for some stupid reasons.

"The beast had simply vanished and a man had been freed. He told me that the woman's name had been Belle and that she had freed him from a curse. He had been that beast", Hook sighed and shrugged, "that was everything."

"What happened then", she asked, believing that he was missing out something, that she might notice, if she'd know the whole story, "did you search for her?"

"No", he sighed, "at first I didn't want to, but there was a woman - Mulan was her name, I guess - and she told me that Belle had been talking of experiencing adventures, to prove herself and to overcome a heartache a cowardly and powerful man had caused, after he had taken her."

"Taken", Emma asked surprised, "what does that mean?"

"I found out that she was a princess and that this man had helped her father to defend his realm against ogres in exchange for her", he said and avoided to look at her. It was obvious he didn't want to say anything more.

"What then", Emma asked after a moment of silence, "what did you do then?"

"I searched that realm and found out, that all this was true and that it had been Rumpelstiltskin, so I went back to Mulan to find out to where she disappeared, just to stumble into a drunken soldier of the Evil Queen. He had taken the opportunity and had run away from her. He told me Regina had taken this Belle to her castle as a prisoner", he explained, "when I found her there, she couldn't or didn't want to tell me anything and I couldn't forcer her to."

"Why not", she asked surprised that he hadn't done it and curious why he couldn't, as he said.

But Hook didn't answer her. Instead of it he changed the subject, "I guess we should start searching for a way to check on Co-, her and find the kid before we do anything else."

Emma frowned, "what is it?"

"What is what", he asked confused.

"The reason you are avoiding to answer me", she demanded to know and followed him up to the steering wheel. He couldn't possibly believe that she'd simply let him get away like that, could he?

"I'm not."

Lie.

"Fine. Than explain to me, why do you want to help Regina after you broke into her castle? What is your connection to her?"

He froze and stared at her, "how do you know that? I didn't write anything about it in my notes."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "please. You just told me she had imprisoned a woman close to the Dark One and seriously expect me to believe that you just had to knock on her door to visit this Belle?"

He sighed in annoyance and looked at her without saying anything for a long moment. She felt like she pushed him into a corner and he didn't really like it at all. But she couldn't understand why. It was not like she had asked him about Milah or his reasons for taking revenge on Rumpelstiltskin or anything as personal like that. She had only asked him about his plans and his reason to do something that wasn't even really of his concern.

"What's your problem", she asked after a moment of silence. If he really wanted her to help him, than he had stop blockading everything she tried to do it.

She only barely noticed his men watching them and trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, while pretending to be eating. Hook didn't even notice it at all, as it seemed or he simply didn't care. Sometimes she thought he was too trusting with them anyway. But she hadn't been on board long enough to actually judge about that yet.

Base and Smee were standing closer to them than the others and for sure they were able to overhear their conversation perfectly. Smee was shoving as much food into his mouth as you could believe he was afraid someone could steal his ration right out of his hands if he wouldn't swallow it fast enough, while Base looked from him to them and back and frowned, just like he didn't like what he noticed.

"My problem is", Hook answered her slowly, before he whispered, "my problem is that I shall find a boy who I haven't planned to search for at all, while I'm not even able to find the one person I really do want to find and an insane old witch is hunting me down. I don't know where to start, Swan. Or if I do I just can't bring myself to do it since I actually want to do something else."

Emma nibbled at her bottom lip for a moment and stared back into his eyes. She didn't know anything about Prince Henry. She needed his help. They were a team now even though she wasn't good at team playing. She needed all information, he could give to her and for that she needed to know what Regina really was like. She didn't want to help her to get the boy, if she'd hurt him in the end. Even after everything that had happened in her past, she had never been able to watch an innocent child in pain and so her conscience was telling her, that she shouldn't help Regina if she wanted to hurt the Prince.

But in this matter she had to relay on what Hook would have to tell her about Regina, so she would be able to estimate if she really was like the person everyone was talking about. She needed to know if Regina really was like the Evil Queen in the old stories.

Belle came into her mind. She had been involved with Rumpelstiltskin and Hook had believed her to be a possible source of information, or he wouldn't have broken into Regina's castle, so she had to know something helpful. And if she really had been heartbroken by Rumpelstiltskin they had to have been close enough to each other, that she had been important to him. In that case Regina couldn't have let her free without having to fear the Dark One's revenge on her.

"What is it", Hook suddenly asked and pulled her back to reality. He had been watching her the whole time and whatever it was he had seen in her expression it had made him curious enough to interrupt her thoughts.

Emma shook her head slowly, "I just thought…you could make a deal with Regina."

"About what", he asked interested but retiring and somehow even skeptically.

Emma hesitated to answer him, "about the kid. You agree to do it if she gives you this Belle."

Hook sighed, "you don't understand it, do you? It's not like I had an option in this. I have to do it. It's do or die, Swan."

"Which is still an option", she joked and ignored his glare.

"But not one I would take", he stepped closer and stared into her eyes like he could see right through her, "I've got something better to do than to die, I can assure you."

"I know", she stated, "but she needs you or she wouldn't have shown up here. You've successfully sneaked into Regina's castle in the past, haven't you? So she relays on you doing it a second time with her mother's. She believes you can check on her mother for her, which seems to be something she can't do herself."

Hook shook his head, "no. I was just the first one to come into her mind, nothing more. She'll kill me if I'll offer her a deal."

Emma looked at him for a long moment, "what makes you believe she won't just kill you if you've done what she wants? After everything I've heard about the Evil Queen she wouldn't hesitate to kill you no matter of what result you're searching will be. After everything I've heard about her, she definitely belongs to the people who don't have any problem with killing the messenger."

Hook crossed his arms in front of his chest, "and how do you expect us to sneak into her mother's castle?"

Emma gave it a long thought. She walked past him and stopped at the railing, starring out to the sea before she turned to look at him again, "what is it that witch wants the most?"

"Regina?"

"No", Emma answered understanding that she had chosen the wrong way to ask without mentioning Cora's name, "her mother."

"Regina", he answered without hesitation and grinned at her as he understood what she wanted to say with this. He was impressed. He grinned widely, "you'd really made a good pirate, you know?"

She faced a smile, "and I always believed that statement was just a trick, to convince me to make that deal with you."

He chuckled and walked up to her, "you didn't make it easy for me anyway."

Her smile vanished, "I'm a bounty hunter, nothing else. What you believe to notice in my abilities is just what I do everyday because it's my job. I am not a pirate."

She didn't like what he obviously had believed to be a compliment. For him it definitely was one and it was logical he was thinking like that. But Emma hadn't made any good experiences with pirates. All she knew about them was, what she had seen in taverns, while fighting them and when Blackbeard and his crew had taken the most important and reliable person from her. She didn't want to be compared to pirates at all.

"How do we play them into it", she asked changing the subject.

It didn't work.

Hook came closer until he was standing right in front of her, "you must be thinking highly of us, Love."

She noticed the sarcasm in his voice, but she didn't want to react to it. It would be pointless anyway and it would just worsen her relationship to the men on board, who were trying to spy on them, if she'd announce how much she disliked pirates.

No, she didn't answer, "you should come up with an idea. You know both Regina and her mother better than I after all."

"You know", he whispered as closer to her now, that she was able to feel his breath on her lips, while he looked at her through narrowed eyes, "you can't hate and blame every pirate for what you accuse Blackbeard for, Love. There are some who are real gentlemen."

"And of course "devilishly handsome", I guess", she asked ironically using his own words to make fun of him.

A smile appeared on his lips and it was the most genuine smile she had seen him do yet. It was confusing, made him look younger and more attractive. Yes, she had to admit that he really was attractive, but she would never tell him so. And it wouldn't change anything. He was a pirate after all.

"Indeed", he grinned and his voice was as low as he was almost purring like a cat. Emma ignored Smee's intrusive attempts to eavesdrop on them. She was feeling strange enough of being in such a situation with Hook.

They stared at each other like they wanted to read in each other's eyes to find out what they were really thinking. His gaze was implying something she didn't want to give a try, so she tried to change the subject again, "so what are you planning now."

Hook shortly raised an eyebrow before he narrowed his eyes again and focused on her mouth, a grin appearing on his lips. He wasn't serious, she could see it, but still her body reacted to it. Her lips turned hot just like the blood of her entire body had decided to gather in them. She was nervous and her instincts were telling her to run away as fast and as fast as she could, because if he had that much influence on her, if he wasn't even serious about it, she didn't want to find out, what it would be like if he would be once day.

"What do you want to do about Regina and Co… her mother?"

Those names had been like a slap in his face. He stepped back like she had shoved him away and sighed heavily, "it's not like I could influence Co…her at all. As soon as she'll find me, I can be happy if she simply kills me."

Emma frowned and followed him back to the steering wheel, where Smee was pretending to do is job, "why that?"

"I deceived her."

"How?"

"I think you had a good point there about making a deal with Regina", he avoided to answer her again walked down the stairs to approach the hatch, "Base, take care of the steering wheel. Mr. Smee, bring me the mirror."

Emma followed him, while his men obeyed to his commands, "what mirror?"

"An old gift of the Queen. She likes to communicate through them", he explained like it was nothing special at all.

"Why did she give it to you", they approached the door to their cabin.

"There was a time she enjoyed giving me orders until I came back to the Jolly Roger and she couldn't reach me anymore", he held open the door for her and soon after they had entered the captain's quarters Smee followed after them. He was carrying a small black mirror with a handle in his hands that was carefully covered with a dirty peace of cloths.

Hook took it and sighed, "make sure not to make any sound, both of you."

Emma frowned, "if this is a mirror can't she already hear us?"

"That's not how it works", Hook explained and stopped in his movement of reaching for the cloths with his hook, "the spell on it only gets activated if someone is looking at it."

Before she could answer another question, he pulled off the cloths and held it out to her so she would hold on to it and looked into the mirror so neither of them could see anything or could be seen except for him.

* * *

Regina closed the door behind her silently hoping that nobody had noticed her sneaking into this room. She had had to search her way through two floors until she had found one where she would be completely alone.

She walked up to the mirror that had been the reason she had chosen this room besides the silence and on the way she let her dark blue bolero fall on an armchair, that was standing near the fireplace. She wouldn't need it in this library. She was surrounded by bookshelves, which covered almost every wall except the two spots of the fireplace and where the mirror was hanging.

"Come on", she demanded, "show up."

The big green face of the genie, who had captured himself in a mirror eking out an existence of her reflection for so many years now, appeared in front of her and filled out the whole mirror, "you whish?"

"Has the damn pirate already tried to get in touch with me", she asked tensely. She felt she was wasting time. She wanted to know if he had finally left that stupid little place and she wanted to hear is plans of checking her mother.

The face in the mirror sighed and vanished to make space for the face of the pirate.

She didn't even greet him, "so what is your plan."

"Good evening, my lady, I'm also delighted to see you", he said sarcastically using all his charms but when he saw her expression, he decided to answer her question before she could urge him to, "and I've got a deal, I want to offer to you."

She frowned. She didn't like what she was hearing at all, "what deal?"

He wetted his lips and his smile vanished, "I'll take the risk and search through your mother's place if you give me something for it."

Regina stared at him, feeling that she wouldn't like the answer to her question, but she had to ask it anyway, "and what would this something be?"

"A lass you're hiding from the world", he answered watching her carefully, "her name's Belle."

Her blood seemed to freeze in her veins as she heard that name. She didn't like his condition and her mind was already running wild searching for ideas to force him to do, what she wanted him to do, without doing anything for it.

"You're asking for a lot, Pirate", she stated, "if you want her, you'll have to do more than to simply check on my mother."

"Simply", he asked in disbelieve, "doing that is anything but simple, Regina."

"If you really want her, you have to find Henry", she demanded, "and I'm not just talking of searching through my mother's castle. I'm talking about finding him where ever he is. You'll only get Belle in exchange for Henry."

Hook stared at her without even seeing her. She could almost see his thoughts running wild, but she didn't care. She wouldn't give up Belle that simple after all the troubles she had had with her in the past and the risk of having to face Rumpelstiltskin if he'd ever find out that she had been holding her captive pretending she was dead. Besides that she had a very important personal reason to make sure she would stay in place, which meant in her castle.

She was playing with the thought of demanding Hook's answer, but instead she decided to listen to his plan first, so she repeated in a demanding voice, "what is your plan, Hook?"

"It's actually quite easy", he asserted and smiled perky at her, "my….", he stopped and searched for the right word until a female voice in the background prompted it for him. But still he pronounced it strangely, "my partner and I sneak into her castle, while you distract her. That's everything."

Regina stared at him for a moment before she let out a breath in disbelieve, "don't tell me you really believe it'll be that easy."

He tried to stay cool, but she could see his eyebrows moving for a very short moment, "I do."

"In that case, my dear captain, you and your partner should stick your heads together and come up with an idea how you actually intend to even get inside her castle without her noticing it, because she has placed a protection around it ever since my curse failed. You can't just sneak inside without her noticing anything", she said annoyed and pronounced the words "captain" and "partner" specifically according to the mood she was in.

"But they could make it, if you'd help them", someone suddenly said from behind her. She turned on her heels totally surprised, because she hadn't noticed anyone following her, not to mention coming into this room.

Robin Hood was just closing the door behind him, like it was the most usual thing that he was here in this moment and this situation.

"I thought you were talking with Charming", she said out of confusion and totally forgot about Hook in the mirror.

"I was. But now I'm here", he stated and walked up to and the mirror, "and I think his plan could work, whoever this captain and his partner is. But you need to help them."

Regina resisted letting out a breath. She was glad he hadn't overheard everything, since she didn't want anybody to know about Belle. If would have heard about her, he would have done what everyone usually did in such a case. He would have demanded that she would let her free again and if she would have refused it, he would have told everyone until she would have been under pressure until she'd do it.

She turned back to the mirror, "what makes you even believe she would let me distract her at all?" She was upset because she hadn't noticed Hood following and spying on her. She was upset because now he knew not just about her plan to check on her mother, but about Hook as well. The captain had been her wild card. He had been her safety net just in case the others would decide to turn their backs on her in the end and she would have to search for Henry on her own and maybe in direct concurrence to them. Now he knew about him and her secret plan, for what they would blame her again and he would certainly make sure they'd find out about it.

Hook almost chuckled openly, "Regina, she even pretended to be dead just because she wanted to have you back. All she wants is you, how can you doubt you can distract her?"

She sighed and looked away. She bit the inside of her bottom lip and whished Hood wasn't standing behind her, listening to everything she said. She turned around and glared at him, "you have the choice. Either you leave now or you stay here and you won't reveal any of this to the others."

"Why don't you want to tell anyone", Hood frowned.

Robin Hood was a handsome man and quite charming man, even though he couldn't hide that he was living in a forest, because of the ground on his trousers and the slightly smell of forest. But she might actually have been attracted to him, if he wouldn't have gotten himself into searching for Henry, especially not with all of his men. Sure, he might be helpful and skilled but she was the one at risk now that he had overheard everything. If Cora would find out she would disturb her search and play her against the others in order to have her for her own again, just like Hook had said it. She might even use Henry as soon as she'd find him, if she wasn't the culprit herself. And if she would start to search for him as well, in that case, there was no doubt she'd find him before anyone else, since nobody expected her to do it and she was a witch unlike Hook, so her possibilities of finding him were much higher, than his. Hell, her possibilities would even be better than her own, since nobody would focus on Cora like they would do it with her.

"It's safer this way", she stated, "I have my reasons. Choose."

He looked at her for a very long moment, before he sighed and his face lighted up. He turned, walked up to the fireplace and sat down into an armchair standing front of it. He crossed his legs and made himself comfortable.

That was answer enough. Regina turned back to the mirror, "fine. But you have to get on that island on your own. I'll think of a way to make it possible for you to stay invisible for her until you reach the castle. But I have no clue how you can get through the barrier she has placed around her castle. You'll have to come up with something yourself in this matter."

"If you do your part of the work, then she shouldn't be able to come back to us", Hook stated, "she should be too concentrated on you by then."

Regina stepped back, "tell me, when you're close to her island and don't land there. Anchor around 4 miles away from it and wait for me."

"As you whish, my lady", he said jokingly, knowing that there was a genie captured in her mirrors and vanished again.

As she picked up her bolero, Robin stood up and walked up to the door to keep it open for her, "you seem to be nervous."

"Worried would be the better word for it", she answered in an arrogant voice and walked past him. She didn't wait for him but walked down the corridor to get back to the others again.

"You loved the prince, didn't you", Hood asked with polite curiosity and followed her closely.

"I DO love him, since he is still alive", she corrected him and avoided to add that she would even still love him, if he wouldn't. To even consider that option was too painful.

He followed her for a moment in silence. She was fine with that. She didn't want to discuss everything that had just happened in that library and the good guys usually wanted to do something like that.

"Never though an "Evil Queen" to be capable of loving a child", he finally said more surprised than skeptically to himself, as it seemed and walked up to her, "or did I get something wrong? You are the "Evil Queen", aren't you?"

"Just like I didn't expect a mere thief to be welcomed in a castle to help to find a boy, he has no connection to", she growled angrily and turned to look at him.

"A thief you hunted down with wanted posters. They didn't really catch my features, you know", he said jokingly, but she could hear the hint of a hurt pride in his voice anyway. Was it because she had called him a thief? But he was one, wasn't he? Why did she even care? He had called her "Evil Queen" and that hadn't been polite either. She had always hated that name.

Did she care because of Henry's influence on her? He was the first person who actually seemed to question that title she had owned for such a long time now after all. But was he really questioning that status or her love for Henry?

He was confusing her.

"But you are a thief, aren't you?"

Hood sighed and a small smirk actually appeared on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes, "No, actually I don't believe I deserve that title."

"And what would you prefer", she asked curious and kept her mask of annoyance by acting arrogant. She was perfect in doing that. Like that she could deceive everyone, even her own mother and Rumpelstiltskin.

He looked at her for a long moment just like he was studying her, before he walked up to and whispered, "does it even matter, since you believe I was one?"

Regina almost grinned, "you just implied I wasn't like an "Evil Queen" at all and yet I still am even though you don't seem to believe it."

Hood looked at her for a long moment and she had no doubt, that he understood what she meant perfectly. She had basically just told him, that despite what others thought of you, you could still be the bad one. His glance almost became gently and it felt like it was caressing her, but she didn't believe that he even noticed that himself.

"You think you deserve that title?"

She surrounded him like a tiger ready to attack in an attempt to scare him, "I did indeed. Fear is a useful tool if you know how to use it."

"And did you", he asked just barely moving his head in her direction without turning around with her.

"I definitely did and I still do", she stopped surrounding him and continued to walk back to the room with the round table, where the others would be waiting for them.

"But do you think you still do deserve it", he asked anyway and followed her on her heels.

She took a deep breath. No, she didn't. She had changed ever since she had met Henry. But she wouldn't tell him so. Usually nobody believed her something like that, so why should he be the exception?

Hood drew his own conclusions out of her silence, "what I'm trying to say is, if you believe it, it is true, because you're acting according to what you believe. And what you said earlier could work the other way around either."

"Do you want to have proof", she asked annoyed, "I can easily give it to you. But I've got to warn you, you certainly won't like me hurting you, like I hurt everyone else."

Hood just followed her without saying anything anymore. Maybe she had threatened him to much? Maybe she had sounded too proud of her sins? Or had he just remembered something she might have done to him in the past and she had just stabbed a knife into his wound? Had she done something to hurt him beside the wanted posters, like she had hurt everyone else? It was possible. And in the end there wasn't anybody she hadn't hurt with her failed curse anyway, was there? But she couldn't remember anything she could have done on top of all that.

The door to the room was opened, but before she could place even one foot inside the room, a small cute boy with dark hair ran outside, almost crushing into her, because he was in such a hurry, as he ran up to Hood yelling, "daddy."

Regina stared at the boy with the same brown eyes as Hood, in his father's arms in surprise. She hadn't known that Hood had a family, but before she could say anything about it, they were already called inside.

Robin walked past her carrying his son in his arms, who started to play with his hair as if it was the most usual thing to do. It was lovely to see them together and it made her remember Henry. Through watching them, knowing that Henry was gone got even worse. It hurt more then before.

"We've got a problem", Charming said darkly, waiting for them at the table where the others were gathered as well. Just Mulan, Lancelot and the Merry Men weren't there.

"What's up", Regina asked snapping out of her dark thoughts and approached them walking past Robin, who was placing his son back on his feet again.

"Ogres", Charming said and sighed heavily, "they seem to have multiplied rapidly and now they come down from the southern mountain slopes. They attack the villages at the mountain foothills."

Regina held back a sigh. She perfectly knew what they would say now even without listening to them. They would focus on that matter now, because they were the good ones and as such they couldn't let down the people in those villages. But what about Henry?

She looked at Snow and noticed her pale face and the pain in her eyes and realized that it wasn't easy for her and that she maybe even was thinking the same as her.

"What are you going to do", Hood asked curious and seriously.

"I'll take my men and take care of it", Charming said whereupon Snow looked at him in fear. They all could remember the old ogre wars perfectly and they knew it wasn't as easy as he made it look like.

"I'll join you", Robin said to her surprise. He looked down at his son, "I just need to wait until Little John is back, so he can take care of Roland."

"I'm certain our foster-nurse will be happy to watch over him", Snow said silently. Usually she would have added that she'd be glad to have him around and that she'd be happy to watch over him herself, too, or something like that, but Regina assumed her pain was still too present. She couldn't blame her for that.

It was funny. After all those years trying to defeat her and hurt her, she was feeling sorry for her, now that she obviously was grieving. It was ironically.

"I'll call for Hillary", Charming said and slightly pressed Snow's hand, before he left her alone.

The dwarfs jumped to their feet, just like Ruby. They would keep on searching for the prince just like her.

Regina sighed. However, the ogres would distract everyone anyway and the search for Henry would suffer through it. She couldn't allow that. She needed them to focus on it or it would take longer to find him, as she whished for.

"I'll help you", she heard herself saying, before she even had made the decision to do it.

"You will", Snow said hopefully and stood up. She was surprised just like everyone else, since even though she had made her peace with them, she had never helped them in such matters before.

"Yes", she stated, "if I help you, we can concentrate on Henry faster again."

She already had an idea of what she would do. There was no need for guards. She would simply use her magic. The problem was that she needed to get close enough to them so it would work. Mirror magic wouldn't help her in this, "bring me to them and I can take care of them."

* * *

Emma rolled herself to the side. She didn't want to wake up yet, but she knew, since she already was thinking something like that, it was too late. She was awake. She had found out that sleeping on board of a ship could be quite comfortingly. This was already the fifth morning after Hook made a deal with Regina and she had to admit besides the nights, it could be quite boring on board, since she hadn't anything to do but wait for them to reach the next harbor. The men kept working, chatting and laughing all the time, when they weren't simply lying on deck, enjoying the sun. Nevertheless this wasn't an option for her, since she didn't know anything about sailing and didn't want to get in their way, when they were doing it.

Most of the men still avoided her, but she was fine with that. She didn't want to get closer to them, because it was just too awkward, to suddenly team up with them instead of fighting them. Maybe it would change if she'd open up to them a little more, but she wasn't good at opening up to others and she had been alone for too long to simply do it.

Hence she had spent those past days thinking everything through.

After everything Hook had said and she had heard about her herself, Cora wasn't someone you wanted to visit at all. She was dangerous and according to Hook she was always hungry for power and quite unforgiving. Even though he still refused to tell her, what had happened between them, she could imagine that it would be more than dangerous to sneak into her realm, even if Regina would really do her part in this. Moreover she just couldn't ignore her suspicion that all this might be a trap of the two witches.

She had heard too many stories about them to suddenly believe, that the Evil Queen miraculously would have changed as much as to help someone to find their child. She knew that Hook knew her better and that he could imagine it to be true, but she doubted it anyway.

As she had told him so, he had just rolled his eyes, talking of trusting people and that he was able to read them quite well. She hadn't paid much attention to that especially not after he declared to be able to read her as well and that she was an orphan, if he wasn't mistaken.

Emma looked at the hammock hanging in a corner of the cabin in the dark. It was still quite early and Hook was sleeping. She could hear the steady sound of his breath to the ordinary sounds of the ship making its way through the sea.

The first night here had been strange. After sleeping in forests and stables for so many years the bed had been too comfortable for her. And the sound of his breath and his movements, when he had turned in his hammock or something like that, had been quite strange, after such a long time of sleeping alone.

She watched his sleep for a second without seeing his face at all and remembered times, she usually never thought of. Times when she hadn't been alone, when there had always been someone sleeping next to, eating with her, laughing, joking and sleeping with her. A time when she had believed everything could be resolved if you never stopped hoping, because love was hope. A time when she had believed that love was the solution.

Emma sat up and shoved her feet into her brown boots that nearly reached her knees. She didn't want to think about that. This wasn't the time to do it. Actually there would never be a time to do it at all.

She looked down on herself to make sure her green shirt was in place and shoved it into her brown trousers, where it had gotten out of it. It was quite cold in this room without the comfortable bed in her back and the warm blanked covering her, but she ignored it. She undid her braid, before she ran her fingers through her hair and bound it up again. Then she stood up, took her cloak and approached the door carefully making sure she wouldn't be too loud.

"Where are you going", Hook suddenly asked in an almost sleepy voice.

She turned to look at him, not believing what he pretended for even one second, "outside."

"Is something troubling you, Love", he asked out of the blue and finally stopped pretending she had woken him up.

"Our plan", she stated just as silently as him without hesitation, even though she knew he wouldn't want to hear that, "I don't like it."

Although she could barely see him in the dark, she noticed that he was folding his hand and his hook behind his head. His voice was calm, "do you have a better idea?"

Emma looked at the windows and walked up to the table thinking about it. She knew he was watching her every move, while her head was running wild. She had been thinking about it in the past days as often as her head had started to hurt and she had needed to find some distraction to stop any thoughts. She sighed.

"You see", he said silently after a moment of silence and sat up in his hammock that waved through his movements, "there is no other way."

She watched him shoving his feet into his boots and straightening his shirt. She didn't want to accept it, "just because we can't come up with something else, doesn't mean there is no other way."

She didn't know why they were talking as silently as they had to be careful not to wake up anybody, but she found that she somehow liked it. It felt intimate, but it wasn't uncomfortable as it usually was, when he suddenly said something about her that was way too true. When he read her like an open book.

He wasn't pretending to be someone he wasn't and he didn't try to use his charms on her to fool or trick her into something, like he usually did. He was just there and acknowledged her the way she was and the way she was thinking. He acknowledged her worries about their plan and seemed to be interested in her thoughts honestly, which was quite comforting.

She hadn't known how much she had missed something like that before. The last time she had experienced this she had been traveling and working with Graham. Maybe she had even developed a little crush on him. But he was gone.

He walked up to her slowly without leaving her out of sight. She noticed that she liked him better without that cloak somehow. He didn't seem as rigid as when he was wearing it anymore.

He surrounded her and the desk and turned his back at the windows to look at her, "but we can only do, what we can come up with, Love."

Emma looked down at the map, which was still lying on his desk, "but why do we take that risk without even knowing for certain that the boy really is with Regina's mother?"

Hook's expression changed from comfort to interest and curiosity, "what do you mean?"

"Your task in your deal with Regina is to find Henry", she explained slowly and looked at him, while her thoughts were running wild, "you don't need to check on her mother if we know for certain that the kid isn't with her."

"And how shall we find out about that", he asked carefully.

"Where did he disappear?"

"In his bedroom", he answered without hesitation, "at least Regina told me so."

Hook sighed, as he noticed her lively eyes. It was like she was telling him what she wanted to do with just one look. It was strange, but he had noticed that they were doing that often lately - talking without saying anything. They were traveling together for just five or six days and he already could understand her without saying anything at all. And so did her.

"No", he said answering to the look in her eyes, "you can't be serious."

"Why not", she asked with the most innocent expression he had ever seen in her face.

"We could get caught."

"Even if, it can't be worse than being caught by her", she stated softly and totally positive about her idea.

She was right. If they would be caught there they would be able to escape again. But still…

"We would only waste our time", he argued softly.

"Why that", she asked surprised, since she didn't think so.

Hook sighed and looked at the desk searching for the right words, "because whoever is helping them must already have searched through that whole place before. Even Regina couldn't find any proof for her mother being the culprit. There is no evidence."

Emma surrounded the desk and walked up to him. Her words were quite urgent just as her look, "but maybe she was concentrating on her mother too much and didn't notice something that could be leading into a completely different direction."

He returned her look and found himself caught in it. He knew that just seconds ago he had had a good argument against it, but now he just couldn't recall it anymore. She didn't seem to notice how much she was bewitching him right now at all. She was too caught up in her idea, to notice the change in him, for what he was glad for, since he didn't know if he was fine with that.

Milah.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to break their eye contact. He forced himself to look away from her still sleepy eyes and the innocence she embodied as shortly after waking in his eyes.

He was confused of his own thoughts and his reaction to her.

"It will be useless", he said weakly, knowing that he was going to lose this discussion.

Emma was irritated of his reaction. She felt like he had suddenly shut a door on her and she was still able to see him through the glass of it. But what she could see now, was only a weak representation of him, just like she was seeing his shadow without seeing him. He had locked her out again and she didn't know why. She couldn't understand his reaction, especially since she had enjoyed their close and pure exchange that hadn't involved any deeper meanings in every word they said like it was usually the case.

She blinked and tried to ignore the bad taste in her mouth, but nevertheless her words didn't lose their honesty and strength, "how can it be useless if it could save our lives?"

Hook let out a breath and looked down at the map, which was answer enough for her. She had won. They would change their plan and they would change their direction.

Nonetheless she felt as if she had lost.

* * *

Hook had been right when he had shown her around on board back then. Blake really was a great cook and ever since he had been scolded for his messy galley, he took care of it precisely. Nobody was allowed to enter it anymore, if it wasn't his turn to make a meal and when they were done, he checked on them, to make sure they would leave the galley like they had entered it.

Emma sat on the rail and looked out to the sea, while eating her breakfast consisting of bread and ham. Hook had changed their direction as soon as the sun had risen, but he had avoided her every since they had left the cabin. She didn't understand why. Usually he was the one sticking around and invading her personal space just like he didn't even know what that was. But now he was staying at the steering wheel without joining her or talking with her about unimportant stuff, just to speak with her. Now the only thing that reminded her of his presence was the glance he threw at her every now and then.

"Don't you think that's a little dangerous", someone suddenly said from behind. She turned to look at him and noticed it was Base. It was strange but somehow she was disappointed it was him.

"Why that", she asked lightly and turned around to him so her legs were hanging down to both sides of the rail. She steadied herself through holding on to it, since she was done with her breakfast and her hands were free again.

"You could fall inside the ocean", he explained with a voice cold as ice and stared down on her through narrowed eyes covered by his own shadow, since the sun was shining in his back.

"Is that a warning or a declaration", she asked implying that he wanted to push her. The way he was looking at her, she was almost certain, that he really wanted to, but his orders were stopping him.

He let out a breath and leaned at the rail right besides her using the shadow of the main mast to cover his eyes from the sun shining at them, "why are you here?"

Emma frowned. She didn't know what Hook had told his men. Had he told them anything at all or had he just stated that she would be joining them now?

"What did Hook tell you", she asked carefully and watched him. She was surprised that he was talking with her without threatening her. Nevertheless she perfectly knew that he still hated her and that he whished her to disappear. He was still seeing a thread in her.

"He said the two of you had a deal", he answered, "and that you would help him to achieve his goal of killing Rumpelstiltskin. But he didn't tell us what you would get through this."

She looked at Hook who was watching them now. He was standing at the helm talking with Smee, but whatever it was his first mate was telling him, he didn't listen to him, but concentrated on them instead.

"Why do you ask", Emma asked Base as Hook looked away again, like he had caught himself doing something he had refused himself to do.

"I just want to know why a killer like you would join us."

Emma snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Base as if he had slapped her in the face, "I'm not a murderer. I'm a bounty hunter."

Base skeptically raised an eyebrow, "oh and delivering men to others who kill them, is so much better than killing them yourself? Are you honestly trying to tell me, that you have never killed someone to deliver him? Do you really believe you weren't responsible for their deaths if you catch and hand them to the guards who do your dirty work?"

Anger boiled in her veins and sped up the beat of her heart until she could hear her pulse in her ears as loud as drum beats. She frowned, "yes, since they are so innocent with a bounty on their heads."

Base sighed and looked at his hands that were lying in his lap. He was upset, because he knew she had point there. He knew she was right, that they weren't talking of innocent people but mostly about guys who had killed several people when they had fallen into a town or entered a ship. Pirates, who had raped helpless women, killed their families and had taken everything, because they wanted to have it.

She knew that every pirate was like that. But most of the men with a bounty on their heads were. She had seen those things herself, when Blackbeard had attacked the town back then as Graham had died. He couldn't fool her.

But she had to admit that Hook's pirates were different, somehow.

"Trouble in paradise", Base suddenly asked amused. As she looked up to him confused, she noticed that he was looking at his captain.

She didn't answer him. Things like "there is nothing like that" and "I don't know what you mean" would just amuse him and he wouldn't believe her anyway. Furthermore she didn't want to defend herself and reacting to that question would be nothing else. If men didn't need to defend themselves for doing what they wanted, she did neither. Moreover they weren't in a relationship that required any excuses from her side.

When he noticed she wouldn't answer him, he continued enjoying the whole situation a little too much for her taste, "did he tell you, why he hunts for Rumpelstiltskin?"

"No", she answered and left out the fact that she believed to know it anyway, "why don't you tell me?"

Base grinned evilly, "seems like he doesn't trust you, either."

"Are you trying to provoke me", she asked curiously and looked at him like she was studying him, "isn't it frustrating that you can't attack me without breaking your commands? Must indeed by pretty shit to have to see me everyday on board without being able to punch me."

"Base", Hook's voice suddenly interrupted them just as the pirate stood up to threaten her again. He didn't need to say anything more. Base stepped back without leaving her out of his sight, before he turned on his heels and walked up to his captain.

Emma watched them for a moment, seeing that Hook was scolding him and noticing the angry glares he threw at her, because he perfectly knew that she wasn't innocent as well, but he couldn't do anything to scold her and he knew that.

She looked away and watched Blake and Blackpool joking and laughing, while the elder pirate tried to teach the younger one to use is knife. They looked like kids training to throw stones, so they would jump across the water. But they didn't throw the knife.

She grinned as she noticed how clumsy Blake was. He definitely wasn't a pirate.

"Was that really necessary", Hook asked stepping in front of her and blockading her few on the pirates.

She looked up to him. So he was finally talking with her again. Well, arguing with him was better than this stupid silence between them which she couldn't understand at all.

"What?"

He glared at her and she could easily understand what he meant. He was angry because she was pretending to be innocent like sheep and he was upset because she had provoked Base again. She had done it a lot ever since she had come on board the Jolly Roger, but she had never started it.

She sighed, "I didn't start it."

"Does that change anything", he asked and sighed, sitting down next to her just like Base had done it before. He seemed to be frustrated, "if you were one of my men I'd let you scrap the deck now."

Emma chuckled, "just good I'm not following your orders."

He let out a frustrated breath like he was regretting something. She had the bad feeling it was about her. She didn't like it. Suddenly she felt guilty. She was sorry for him.

"Come on. You can't expect me to swallow everything he throws at me", she said seriously and silently.

Hook looked at her again and stated just as silently, "but I can expect you not to bring up my crew against me."

She frowned in confusion, "but I'm having the problems with them, not you and they know that. They are fine with you."

"But I'm defending you against them the whole time", he stated, "and nothing changes."

She understood what he was saying. Through her behavior she was forcing him to pick a side, even though he was sitting between the chairs. And even if he wouldn't choose one, his men would still believe he was on hers, since he couldn't punish her.

Emma shrugged, "fine. I'll be nice."

Hook grinned at her, "you can do that?"

"Hey", she pushed her shoulder against his and he chuckled.

"You know what? You have a problem with distinguishing picking a fight from teasing, Love", he sad seriously again all of a sudden.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, your always locking yourself up, before anyone can get close to you."

She didn't look at him. She didn't want to hear that. But he continued anyway, "you know why Blackpool opened up with you in that tavern before we set sail."

He waited for her answer, but as he noticed she wasn't even looking him, he continued, "because you tried to open up. You cared. You weren't indifferent when the bartender wasn't fair to you. And that reminded him of himself and maybe every other pirate on this ship."

"I'm not a pirate", she stated in a whisper.

"And still you are just like us", he said softly.

That sentence was bitter on her tongue. She didn't like to be compared to pirates. It wasn't fair. She had never killed innocent people, she had never hurt women and their children and she had never hurt anyone if she had taken something from them, if she had stolen from them.

Hook seemed to guess her thoughts, "look, all of these men here have been treated just as unfair as the bartender treated you. They didn't choose this live. Most of them, if not all of them, have been forced to live like that."

She looked at him curiously and surprised.

He nodded at Blake, who was still practicing with Blackpool, "Blake for example. His father was a blacksmith and he was supposed to inherit his forge, because he was the eldest son, but he didn't want to", he chuckled, "he wanted to cook. So he left his family and his home and tried to survive on his own."

"What happened then", she asked in a whisper and watched the young pirate. It was like Hook was telling her a tale.

"He was caught by mercenaries. They wanted to sell him", he continued, "we entered their ship and offered him to stay."

Emma looked at him, "and what about you?"

He looked away, "that's not important. What I'm trying to say is: just because you've met Blackbeard's crew before, that doesn't mean every pirate is like that."

"No?"

Hook finally looked at her again, "I don't know what happened back then, but I can assure you, I'd never allow a man on board of my ship, who'd do something Blackbeard's men do."

It was hard to imagine. How should that even be possible? He couldn't know every man just by seeing him. He couldn't know what a man would do and what not if he'd see him for the first time. He needed to know them, to spent time with them and how else should he do that, but by allowing them to join his crew?

"I'm pretty good at knowing people, Swan", he answered all her questions just as if he had read her thoughts, proving his own statement with it. When he was looking at her now, his glance was quite intense. It felt like he was not just telling her that he could understand people, but that he understood her even though he knew nothing about her. Combined with his glance, it was like he was looking right through her and unlike in the morning, she felt strange, confused and scared because he was way too close to her, even though he was just sitting next to her.

She looked away and took a breath, since she had totally forgotten to breathe for a moment, before she decided to change the subject. She needed far safer ground, "what's up with Smee?"

"What should be with him", he asked back. When she looked at him again, she noticed that he didn't look at her anymore. He was frowning at the planks beneath his feet just as if he was confused about something.

"You were talking with him earlier", she tried to catch his attention again, "I thought he had a problem."

"He couldn't understand why we changed our plans", he said and his frown disappeared as he finally concentrated on their conversation again, even though he didn't look at her once more, "I told him to take care of the Jolly Roger and the remaining crew as soon as we'll leave."

"Have you ever been at that castle before", Emma asked curiously, "do you know it?"

Hook was silent for a long moment and stared forward as if he was frozen or shocked or something. His thoughts were far away and she couldn't tell, if he was just thinking of something else that was troubling him or if he was remembering something that had been over for a very long time now.

His jaw tensed as he finally answered her, "I don't know that castle." He stood up and left her alone in confusion.

* * *

"Is that close enough for you?"

It was disgusting. The huge creatures in front of them smelled like a cesspool. They were dirty and barely dressed. The skins were pale and full of scratches and smaller injuries where people had tried to fight them, giving their best to save their families' lives.

"I think yes", she said just as arrogant as always even though there was a small voice in the back of her mind, telling her that she had never fought an ogre before. But her magic would be able to destroy them. She knew it.

After all Rumpelstiltskin had fought ogres before as well or he wouldn't have met Belle, would he? And if he was able to do something like that, she should be able to do it as well.

She stood up and Robin, who was with her, jumped to his feet staring at her like she was insane, "what are you doing?"

Regina looked at him in confusion, "what I'm here for."

She stepped out of the bushes like a queen and left her only disguise behind. She revealed herself to the ogres like a sheep standing on an open field in front of hungry wolves. But she didn't care, because hiding had never belonged to her capabilities anyway.

She was glad that she could finally do something instead of sitting around and waiting, grieving for her loss of Henry and doing nothing at all. This was more to her liking. Now she would be able to fight, to use her strength and to let out her anger and pain. Now she would be able to hurt someone and it would help her to cope with all her problems for at least a while.

The ogres noticed her as soon as she left the bushes behind and created a fireball lying in her hand like a child's ball. She didn't wait for them to run up to her, so she would be able to smell their disgusting breaths, since their incredibly loud screams were already bad enough and threw her fireball at them.

It crashed into something invisible and burst setting the ground in front of them on fire and keeping them at bay. All except for one, that seemed to be stronger and hungrier than all the others and tested its chances to get through the fire.

Regina stepped back starring at the fire. She couldn't believe it. How was that possible? There had to be magic involved. But who would protect ogres? And why would someone do that?

The ogre came closer, after it had finally made its way through the fire that slowly died out. Soon the rest of them would be able to get through either. But she didn't notice it. She was too confused and shocked to even care.

An arrow shot past her aiming for the ogres' eyes and killing it. It fell right to her feet the moment Robin pulled her back. Thanks to his safe hand she was still alive. He pulled her back into and through the forest, "what was that?"

She didn't answer him, but as she heard his voice she snapped out of her thoughts and finally started to concentrate on running through the forest to get away from the ogres.

Robin suddenly stopped and stared back and since he was still holding on to her, she had to stop as well, "why aren't they following us? The fire is out."

"I don't know."

He turned to look at her, "what happened there?"

"I don't know."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to force her to finally look at him, "why didn't it work?"

"Bloody hell, I don't know", she snapped at him and freed herself form his grip, before she stepped back, placing a hand on her stomach. She walked up and down in front of him, "there was a barrier, but that doesn't make any sense."

Robin just stood there and watched her thinking out loud. He had never seen her like this. And he would have never had expected to see her like this, knowing she was the Evil Queen, who usually threatened everyone around her. It was like he was watching a giant trying to sneak into a mouse's hole. Despite that, he tried to help her, "why not?"

"Ogres can't use magic", she stated, "they're too stupid."

"So someone has to have helped them."

She turned around to him, "of course, what else? But who would do something like that? It doesn't make sense."

"To hurt people and make sure there is no way to stop them?"

"In that case the ogres would have been locked in the middle of a town or at least with their victims together", she stated, "but they are locked right at the edge of the mountains. There was just one village nothing more."

"And why are they locked?"

"Because such a wand has to be anchored somewhere solid. It can't be moved", she explained and suddenly stopped walking up and down. She became very silent and stared at a tree trunk right beside him.

Robin frowned, "and that wand is the reason they didn't follow us? Am I right?"

She didn't say anything. She just kept starring at the tree trunk.

"Majesty?"

Silence. He walked up to her slowly and reached for her shoulder. He didn't know why he believed it to work, but he said it anyway, "Regina?"

She snapped out of it and looked at him like he had pushed a trigger. She focused on him for a moment recognizing him and feeling strange through hearing her name out of his mouth, before she stated a little surprised of her reaction to it, "this wasn't a real attack. Someone did this to distract us."

They exchanged a glance and she could almost see the next question popping up in his mind. His brown eyes were like portals to his soul and his mind and somehow she was perfectly able to look right through it. But she didn't give him the chance to ask anything anymore.

She ran back to the place where she had tried to fry the ogres not even trying to be silent anymore. She didn't need to look back to know that Robin was following her, even though she couldn't hear his steps through the noise of her own. He was good at what he was doing. The arrow he had shot at the ogre before had barely missed her head and still it had hit the right place to kill it.

"Regina, what are you doing", he shouted after her, believing in what she had just told him about the ogres not being able to come into the forest, "why are you going back?"

"Come on", she just stated before she stumbled out of the forest and stopped right in front of the huge beasts. She stared at them with an open mouth.

Robin stopped right beside her and looked at her, "don't you think that was a little unfair? We're working here as partners. How am I supposed to protect and help you, if you don't tell me, what you are planning?" As he noticed that she was starring at the ogres and didn't pay attention to him once again, he frowned and looked at them as well, "what's wrong?"

Regina swallowed hard, "where is the ogre you shot?"

He looked around, but he couldn't find it, not even somewhere behind the others, "but how is that possible?"

Regina calmed down and turned to him businesslike, "there were four ogres, when you shot it. And now there are four again."

"What does that mean?"

"That means someone is playing around with us", she explained almost furious, "there have never been any ogres and this is not a wand."

Robin walked up to her, "but what does that mean? If there is no wand why did your fireball burst?"

"Because you can't fight a spell with a fireball", she explained and walked up to the ogres, "my fireball bounced off the magic of the illusion that's placed here. You can't fight something that doesn't exist for real."

Robin followed her slowly, "but my arrow-"

"Became part of it as soon as it hit the barrier. There never was an ogre that died here. It was just an illusion. The one who died is already part of the group again", she answered his question before he could spell it out completely, "whoever did this is just playing around with us. The question is what shall we be distracted of?"

"Prince Henry", Robin stated and walked up to her, "this wasn't about ogres or angering anyone, but about you."

Regina stared at him, "what?" Was he against her now as well? Did he believe she was the on being at fault for all of this? Why else would he believe this nonsense was about her? She didn't want to admit it, but if she was honest, then she was hurt.

The Blue Fairy, the dwarfs and everyone else at that round table usually blamed her for everything that went wrong and always thought the source of their problems at her first of anything else. She had believed she had gotten used to it and she even could understand where this was coming from. But now that Robin seemed to do the same she had to notice that she actually did have a problem with it. It was hurting her.

"Whoever did this had to be counting on you teaming up with us and taking care of the problem instead of sitting around in a castle. Someone wanted you to be distracted for something they would want to do or of searching Henry."

Sitting around in a castle? She hardly did something like that. What he had mentioned was more Snow White's style at the moment.

Regina let out a breath, before she took his hand and turned. Dark and purple smoke appeared in front of them and brought them to her castle. So he didn't blame her for it? That was good to know. She felt like a stone was falling from her chest and she could breathe more freely again.

Even though she had been against him working with them to find Henry before, she had to admit that she had had been wrong about it. She could be glad that he was with her and she was relieved that she had found someone in this mess, she might be able to relay on.

Robin coughed heavily as they arrived back at the castle almost the same moment they had disappeared in the forest. He must have breathed in some of the smoke because he had opened his mouth the moment they had disappeared.

She waited for him to calm down again pushing his back in order to help him, "are you alright?"

He cleared his throat and took a look around, "are we?"

"Back in my Snow White's castle? No. This is mine", she walked past him and allowed him to follow her.

"What about the ogres", he asked from behind her and looked at everything he could see and notice on the way, "what did you do about them?"

"Nothing", she pushed open the doors that lead to her most favorite room and walked up to the sideboard with her poisons and vials, that was standing at the wall right across the passage to her beloved apple tree. Well, at least it had been like that once. She wasn't as proud of it anymore as she had been in the past and she hadn't used it for a long time now.

He hurried up and stopped in front of her separating her from the ingredients she wanted to use, "you didn't do anything about them? Why?"

Regina sighed. She found she could like him. He was handsome despite all this forest stuff you could notice at him and he wasn't blaming her as fast as others usually did. He tried to make his own opinion about her, even though he had already heard plenty of stories about her and she highly appreciated that.

"Because they can't hurt anyone anyway. They definitely are just something like a picture projected into the air."

Robin frowned, "what about the people who died in that village it's close to?"

"Whoever did this must have killed them", she stated silently, "and I don't want that someone to know what we know or how much we know. I don't want to warn him."

He looked straight into her eyes, "do you think it could be Rumpelstiltskin?"

Regina shrugged, "I don't know who it could be. Rumpelstiltskin and my mother both would be perfectly able to do that. But to be honest, it doesn't look like something Rumpelstiltskin would do."

"So you think it is your mother", he guessed according to her words. There was something in his expression as he mentioned her she couldn't understand right away. Was it something like compassion? Was he actually feeling sorry for her and the situation she was in? Or was she just interpreting things into his reaction that weren't there at all?

Regina didn't ask him about it. She softly shoved him aside so she could concentrate on her task freely again, feeling his eyes in her back watching her. She had an idea but they'd need to hurry up or it wouldn't work anymore. She couldn't allow the track to turn cold if there actually was one.

"And what are you doing now", Robin asked to her right and looked at her hands mixing things up in a vial.

"I'm trying to track down who ever is hiding behind all this", she explained, "I'm sick of being pushed around while someone is leaning back and laughing about me."

"Shouldn't we tell Charming and Snow?"

"Later", she said and placed a finger on the hole of the vial so there couldn't come something out when she shook it, "we don't have time to tell them yet. We need to get back there fast."

Robin watched her for a long moment, noticing her experienced movements, "isn't that a lot to remember? I mean, the spells and mixtures and that stuff is quite much, isn't it?"

She turned around to him and thought about it for a second. The vial was filled and the liquid was filling it up entirely. All they needed to do now was to get back to the wrong ogres, "I guess it was in the beginning. But the more often you use all that the easier it becomes. I think you can compare it to botany and using bow and arrow. The more often you do it, the less toxic plants end up in your basket and the more often you use bow and arrow the more often you actually shoot what you're aiming for."

She held out her hand to him, offering him to take it and waited for his reaction nervously. She hadn't done something like that in years and it felt strange to suddenly do it. She was nervous.

But he took her hand and they disappeared to the mountain's edge again. She used her liquid, but the track had already vanished, if there had even ever been one. It was disappointing.

* * *

In the meantime:

"Why can't we just knock them out?"

"Sch."

Two guards walked by right above their heads and dirt rained down on them from between the planks of the bridge they were hiding underneath. The men were chatting about how much they wished to be at the tavern now, where they could flirt with a woman called Ruby, who hadn't been around very often lately, instead of guarding this entrance to the castle. When they walked back inside the protecting exterior wall and took the lantern with them, Emma and the pirates were sitting in the dark again.

"I wouldn't need to ask all the time if you would just tell me", she whispered and waited for both his answer and his sing to hurry inside.

They had reached this realm early in the morning but they hadn't landed at any harbor near the castle. Instead of that, Hook had decided to make use of the look of the Jolly Roger, for what she could be easily mistaken as a merchant's ship and they had anchored where they could be seen from the castle. Using a dinghy they had reached a small street that lead right through the water and was the only thing separating the castle and their ship. Base and two other men of Hook's crew had carried the dinghy across it and they had taken the route across the water to the small side entrance the fishermen living in the town behind the exterior walls surrounding the castle were using every morning to get on the water and throw out their nets. It had taken them a while to find that entrance that lead from the castle to a small island across a bridge. Underneath that bridge they were sitting in her boat now.

"We can't risk to be noticed", he answered her like it should be obvious. But she wasn't satisfied with that answer even one bit. She had broken into houses and castles before, too, and so she knew what she was talking about.

"Which is why we should knock them out", she insisted, "like that they won't be able to notice us."

"Before we can knock them out, we need to make sure they won't swift for the night anytime soon or we'll be noticed", he explained and signed them all to be silent, as the guards came back once more.

They were still talking about this woman, but this time they actually mentioned how bad it was, that they wouldn't be superseded for the night, which was exactly what they needed to know according to Hook.

The captain nodded at his sailors, who slowly climbed out of their boat into the water, so the water wouldn't make too much noise and climbed the rocks underneath the small bridge. Emma could see them hiding to both sides of the entrance behind a part of the wall that boarded it, waiting for the soldiers to come back, from her position underneath the bridge. When the soldiers reached the entrance again, the pirates vanished from her view and a short moment after that, they could hear a fight and something that sounded like some of the men were grunting.

Hook climbed out of the boat on a rock and held on to the boat, so Emma could get out without getting wet as well. They couldn't need to leave tracks like puddles or footprints of water, if they didn't want to be noticed. They climbed up to Base and the other two, who were already changing cloths with the soldiers to take their places and pretend to be them.

Hook walked up to them immediately, Emma following him on his heels, "the two of you stay here and overtake their shift. Make certain this way stays free for us to get away again and don't be recognized doing it." His eyes wandered to the unconscious men, they had hidden in the corner they had been waiting at, before they had attacked them, "oh, and make certain they won't wake up."

Emma stared at him. Hadn't he told her just one day ago that he wasn't like Blackbeard and his men? That he wouldn't allow something like this to happen? Sure he hadn't told them to kill them, but he hadn't told them not to, either. And his order could easily be laid out as killing them.

Emma cleared her throat.

"But don't kill them", he added and walked past them. Emma followed him relieved that he had understood her and appreciated her opinion. Base on the other hand, seemed to be confused. He was frowning as he stepped into Hook's way and stopped him once more. She couldn't understand if he was confused because Hook had ordered them not to kill the men or because there usually was no reason to do so, because Hook's words were true.

"Sir", the pirate whispered, "what about me?"

"It'll be too conspicuous to sneak inside threesome", Hook stated and looked back at Emma for a short moment, before he ordered, "stay here. Take care of the boat. Make sure we can reach it more easily than now, just in case we need to escape."

Base glared at her and his voice became even more silent, "are you certain, Sir?"

Hook didn't even look at her to know what he was referring to. He knew just like her that Base was assuming she could betray him, if not, even kill. It was an open secret that the pirate hated her after all. Hook's voice was strong but didn't sound like he was blaming or scolding him for both assuming something like that and questioning his orders. He knew he was just concerned, "just do as you're told."

"Aye, Sir", Base saluted and walked past them back to the boat. He seemed to be disappointed of his task, but just as he had told Emma before, he was loyal to his captain and followed his orders without a real contradiction.

"Ready", Hook asked from her left as she watched Base leave them. Once more he seemed to read her thoughts, "he is just worried for me."

Emma looked at him, "I don't blame him."

She walked past him and ignored the surprised glance he was focusing on her with now. Soon he was by her side as they hid behind a column that was carrying the path on the wall above the door for the fishermen.

Even though it was already late and the day was dark, there were still a lot of people outside their houses. Especially at the two taverns that were crowded by men and women to both sides of the place in front of the way up to the inner wall where the actual castle was. The way they had to take.

"Does that mean you're worried for me", Hook asked curiously tying on to their previous conversation and leaned into her, so he wouldn't be noticed hiding there with her by anyone. He wasn't as close as she could feel his breath on her lips, but close enough to invade her personal space.

Emma looked right into his face so he couldn't even imagine she was lying to him, while he secretly watched the people at the taverns and the main place, "that means, Base distrusts me. It's just natural for him to assume, I'd try to kill you. That's, what I can't blame him for."

Hook chuckled, "and still I believe you care for me. Is it my looks or my charms?" He seemed to enjoy this more than he should, what made him look younger than he actually was, as he took her hand and pulled her behind another column and another one until they reached an empty carriage that stood in a corner beside the way up to the main castle. It was surrounded by straw lying on the stony ground. Until here, they'd made it in complete darkness and unnoticed.

Emma peered around the low wall that framed the way up to the castle while she was leaning at it and rushed around it just when someone rode down the small street right towards her. She stumbled back without turning, until Hook grabbed her waist and pulled her back against his chest into the shadows. He kept holding on to her as they heard the horseman passing by right behind them.

Emma let out a breath, "that was close."

"Indeed", Hook whispered into her right ear, without letting go of her. He was leaning at the wall that had hidden them and seemed just as relieved as her.

She looked down on his hand and the hook he had pinned into one of her belt loops and cleared her throat, "then you can let go of me again."

He pulled back from her waist as soon as she had finished her sentence and she stepped forward to bring space between them. This would be terrible, she was already certain about it.


	6. I love it when a plan comes together

5\. I love it when a plan comes together

She had been right. It really was terrible. Even though they had made it into the castle easily after their little trouble at the entrance and even though they had spared the lower rooms where the servants usually were staying at, they still hadn't found the right room yet. This castle had plenty of rooms and yet they still could find rooms for servants and maidens depending on what part of the castle they were searching through.

"What now", Emma asked after they had taken a look into the twentieth room by now, "do you want to take a peek in every room? The boy could be twenty until we'd find him."

Instead of answering her, Hook took her hand and pulled her into the next room, closing the door just in time, when someone walked down the hall passing the room they were hiding at without noticing them. They were lucky that this was a room they had already checked so they knew there was nobody in here and that whoever had passed their door hadn't decided to enter the room. They exchanged a glance and waited for another moment to make sure they were alone, so nobody would notice if they were moving something in here or heard them talking.

"Are you going to argue with me the entire time now", Hook whispered and walked up to the door to take a look outside.

"Not unless you-"

"Sch", he signed her to follow her outside again. The entered the last room at the end of the hall and Hook closed the door behind them carefully. Then he turned around to her, "what was it you wanted to say?"

"I'll stop arguing, if you finally share your plans with me like we've agreed on in our deal", she paused, took a look around and frowned when she noticed the furniture that once again didn't look like it belonged into a child's room at all, "that means if you do have a plan at all."

Hook, who had walked up to a wardrobe, stopped searching through it, sighed heavily and turned around to look at her, "I already told you, that we check the boy's room to find tracks, didn't I?"

"Yes, but does this look like a boy's room to you", Emma asked skeptically and leaned back at the door her hands shoved into the pockets of her cloak.

He took a look around and grinned, "bloody hell."

She rolled her eyes, "that's not funny."

"Right, it isn't", he said still grinning at her, "that bloody curse that stops me from finding Rumpelstiltskin seems to influence me more than I thought."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. He wanted to joke around now? Seriously? Fine, "if this curse is influencing you so badly I'm wondering how you were even able to find me at that harbor."

"Smee did", he grinned and turned around to the wardrobe again.

Emma walked up to him and opened the second door of the wardrobe he was searching through, "well, in that case we should have made lifting your curse part of our deal with Regina."

Hook stopped in his movements and almost smiled as he turned to look at her in surprise, "our deal?" Never would he have expected her to include herself into this like that. And he was surprised to notice he actually liked it. It was like they really were a team now instead of just saying so and it felt good not to have to fight all alone. Maybe he had been alone for a way too long time by now? Sure there had been his men, but that wasn't the same just like sharing the bed with a wench wasn't the same to...

He frowned. What was he even thinking? When had he become that sentimental? He wasn't lonely and when he was, the presence and softness of a wench's hug was support enough to erase it. He was Captain Hook after all. He didn't care for sentimentalities. His demise was do or dare and nothing else. If he wanted something, he took it. If he wanted to kill someone, he did it. He wasn't a fool, he was a man! That she was including herself now was surprising and entertaining. Nothing else.

But still… The Swan-girl was doing something with her weather she noticed it or not. And he wasn't certain where this would take them. Ever since their little conversation in his cabin about changing their plans a while ago, he had noticed it and he had taken the consequences of it. He had stepped back, had avoided to be alone with her if not inevitably necessary for example at night, when they shared his cabin.

At that day he had realized that there might be just two options of where this could take them, if they'd be stuck close to each other like they had been during their travel so far. First, they'd inevitably end up in bed together; enjoying their time until she would feel like she was treated like a wench and it would turn against them. And second, they'd stop to be as close to each other as they were and keep a mutual distance to each other, treating each other like real partners. He had chosen the second option, since the first one would destroy their teamwork.

"Well, if I ever want to achieve my goal with your help, then I have to make sure that you'll be able to help me at all", she explained and closed the door to the wardrobe again, "which means I have to team up with you in this as well. So, yes. It is our deal. So how on earth are you planning to go on now instead of running around like a lost puppy?"

"Excuse me", he asked and his mood dropped as he heard the phrase "lost puppy". He came closer until she had to lean back against the wardrobe so he wouldn't crush into her, placed a hand to her right, "a lost what?"

Emma sighed unimpressed, "do we really need to discuss this now?"

He placed his hook to her left and looked straight into her eyes, "if you're questioning my capabilities as a man now, indeed."

"Fine", she shrugged and became sarcastic, "so I'll rephrase it. How does the great and incredible captain Hook plan to go on now?"

He chuckled and the tip of his hook sank into a shabby part of one of her doors in her back, "you're not even slightly impressed, are you?"

Emma pretended to be dumb, "of what?"

He looked unashamedly and lazily at her lips like it was the most natural thing for him to do. Her lips felt like they were burning and now she really noticed that she was getting close to her limits. The tough Emma winced back afraid of being confronted with something she wasn't able to handle while the Emma hiding behind her and her walls watched her walls trembling in fear. The problem was, this time she couldn't simply step back or avoid him. He had caught her and she felt like an animal waiting to be shot. She didn't like it.

Before he could answer her or do anything more, a woman talking in front of the door interrupted them, "I'll just get my cloak. Wait here. I'll be back in a minute."

They exchanged a short surprised glance.

"Are you sure you can go", another woman asked worried.

"Don't worry, Sophie", the first woman answered and opened the door, "with Prince Henry missing, there is hardly anything I can do. And the little Roland is already sleeping. The Queen said it was fine."

The woman entered the room and walked up to a small sideboard standing in front of a mirror. She brushed her hair and bound it up again. Then she walked up to the wardrobe.

Hook pulled Emma even closer and they both held their breaths, as she opened one of the two doors, got her cloak out and put it on, before she checked herself in the mirror for a while.

Hook was closer to her than she liked it. As soon as they had heard the woman talking in front of the door, they had jumped inside this bloody cabinet. It had been the best and fastest decision they had been able to make, until they had understood that this was exactly the place she wanted to go.

As soon as the woman had started to take care of her hair, Hook had pulled her onto his side of the wardrobe noticing that she was standing right in front of the cloak she wanted. He had seen her binding up her hair through the little hole he had made with his hook before. And ever since that moment they were pressed together like sardines in vet.

His hand was lying on her hip, while he tried not to hurt her with his hook. His breath caressed her cheek while she tried to push herself off his chest to create at least a little more space between them, while she felt his heartbeat underneath her right hand. It didn't change much. She could still feel his presence against her chest and she had to try hard not to hit him between his legs.

Emma looked up to him questioningly, hoping they could leave the cabinet soon, but he only shook his head to tell her that the woman he was watching through the small hole was still in the room. Emma let out a breath and focused on the dresses behind his back. He definitely was way too close.

From her strange posture her arms and legs were aching and she tried to ignore a coat hook that was nailed in the door from the inside and stitched into her back. She could have easily changed something about it, if she just would have leaned against him, but she didn't want to come any closer to him, than she already was. His smell of rum, man and sea reached her nose and gave her the feeling to be even closer to him than she was. She didn't have a problem with his smell, but it was just too much. Being close to him like that, the smell of his body and the leather of his cloths, the sensation of his breath against her cheek and the warmth of his body against hers in addition to his heartbeat under her hand, were making her walls shake more than ever before. And she didn't like that she didn't have a problem with his smell.

To her surprise Hook pulled her even closer despite her attempts to create space between them, so her arms bend and she really was pressed against him completely, as he shoved his hand between her back and the court hook in her back to help her to ease the pain, even though she hadn't said anything about it. She hadn't even changed her expression so he could have noticed something. And along with her changed posture the pain in her arms and legs eased as well.

She looked at him in surprise out of a corner of her eye since she didn't want to turn her face to him, because she would have to brush across his lips, if she did. He simply grinned and shrugged with his right shoulder, so he wouldn't hit her chin, like he couldn't help it.

Emma focused on the dresses behind his back again, so they wouldn't have one of their silent conversations through eye contact in this situation, like it had been the case in the past few days for several times. Though she had already caught a climbs of what he wanted to tell her anyway and she didn't like it at all. She could perfectly imagine that he had no problem with this situation or that he even liked it. But she didn't want to find out for what reason. She snorted annoyed and was even more upset, when she noticed how her chest was moving against his in the process. At least she wasn't naïve enough anymore to turn red.

His heartbeat became slightly faster.

Instead of focusing on it or even wondering about the reasons behind it, she lost herself in starring at the maiden's dress behind his back, an idea slowly forming in her head.

She couldn't believe it, but in the end it might even possible that it was good that they had ended up in this wardrobe like this. Maybe even this situation could be good for something in the end, even though she didn't like it. She leaned her chin against his left shoulder and stared at that dress.

"I could get used to this", he suddenly whispered in her ear, his lips brushing across it, his breath warming her skin, and brought her back to the presence, "but I had no idea you'd like it so much." He pronounced the "you" like it really was surprising. Too bad she had no idea what he was talking of at all.

"What", she turned her head in an attempt to look at him but winced back as she remembered how close they were and turned her head away before their lips would touch his neck or anything close to her. She just barely noticed that he dared to whisper to her, even though they weren't alone.

"I don't mind spending more time with you like this but I assume we should find another opportunity, Love", he said holding her in his arms and smiling at her just as if he loved this whole situation with them locked in this wardrobe together.

Emma couldn't believe this. In a moment like this? Seriously? He came up with something like this, when they had to be silent, when she couldn't push him away without catching any attention from the woman outside? Was he really taking advantage of the situation? Hadn't he told her that he wasn't like the usual pirates? But he is still a man, she remembered.

However, she was still disappointed, because somehow with everything he had told her and through everyway he had treated her so far, she had actually believed him to be different than the mere pack of men you could meet at the taverns. She had believed him to be what he always pretended to be: a gentleman. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that he was one, but she had believed him to be more of it than all those other men. And even though she didn't trust him, she even had thought better of him than of her past love. But on the other hand, it hadn't been that difficult.

It was just naturally that she was quite upset when she said with a warning voice, "what the hell are you talking about? Don't you think we should be silent? She could hear us after all."

"And you're dreaming, I see", he said slowly and amused. Before she could let out all her anger on him, he added, "she is long gone, Love."

Even before he had said the last word she pushed open the door and left the wardrobe. She took a deep breath just noticing how thick the air had gotten in there and that she was feeling cold now. But she would never acknowledge to him that she was feeling cold because his warmth was missing now.

Hook smiled charmingly at her, but she didn't buy his sudden affection to her for even once second. She didn't trust him and she knew that he was using his charms like a weapon, so she was certain that all this was just another game for him, if it wasn't even a try to fool her.

"What have you been dreaming about? I guess I've got to doubt it was about me", he said amused and ignored her glare.

She took a deep breath to calm down again. The only other option would have been to kick him.

"Actually I have an idea of how I can check the rooms here without all this trouble."

His expression became serious and she could almost see the curiosity shining through his eyes, "what do you mean with "I can"?"

So he had noticed it. Emma smiled at him and she could almost feel how uneasy he was feeling to see her like this.

* * *

Emma had simply thrown him out not caring about someone possibly showing up and finding him waiting in front of that bedroom door in the middle of the castle's hall where ha shouldn't be at all. He had no idea what she had come up with, but somehow he trusted her that it was a good one. At least he hoped so or they would be wasting their time with this now.

Hook was quite curious, when she finally opened the door and joined him in the hall. She was dressed in one of the maiden's dresses, her hair was pulled up and above the dress she was wearing a white apron. The green color of the dress underlined the color of her eyes. She was beautiful even though she wasn't dressed like a royal but a servant.

She kept pulling at the dress around her waist and didn't seem to like it at all, "why are you starring at me?"

"I", he swallowed hard before he started to talk again, "I'm just impr… surprised, that's all."

He took in her appearance while she stepped nervously from one foot to another and had to admit that dresses of servants weren't revealing enough for his taste. Why hadn't they sneaked into a tavern and had her dress up. A barmaids dress would suit her perfectly for sure.

He would have never imagined her to look like that when he had seen her in her pants and her boots with the cloak hiding every feature of her body. Why had he been holding back again?

"Are you done? We have something better to do than starring at me, standing in the middle of a hall of a castle we've broken into, remember?"

Right. He did. They were partners. That's why he had been holding back. But Swan was so different from the usual women, so maybe she'd be fine with having fun? Something like warming each other at night on the sea? Bloody hell her skin was looking so soft, why shouldn't he find out, if it really was what it looked like? Maybe it was better that she was wearing a servant's dress. That it was hiding so much was almost driving him insane, because he wanted to explore her skin underneath it.

"Hook", she said again, "do I need to knock you out and continue on my own?"

He shook his head and snapped out of it. Bloody hell, just what was going on with him? He had never been that confused about a woman ever since Milah had died. No, even back then it hadn't been like this.

"And what is this huge plan of yours", he asked focusing on their current situation again, even though he already had an idea of what her plan would be.

"I do look like a maiden, don't I?"

Why did she need to bring his attention back to that now that he had finally started to focus again? He resisted the urge to tell her how beautiful she looked like. Instead of that he raised an eyebrow and treated her like she was nuts, "I don't think this will work, Swan."

She stared at him like he had said, what he had actually wanted to say for a moment, but he couldn't understand why. She calmed down quickly, "why not?"

"Have you seen maidens before? You're nothing like that. And besides that I could imagine Snow White and Charming know everyone working for them by name. They aren't like other royals after all."

"Oh, and sneaking from room to room like that for eternity, hiding in wardrobes and running from servants and guards is so much better", she asked skeptically and watched him carefully.

Hook shrugged and smiled charmingly, "well, I don't have problems with those wardrobes."

"We won't even be able to find anything, if we can't search without escaping and hiding all the time", she stated ignoring his words.

"I've brought us here, so I'll find away."

"Now that you mention it: how did you even know that secret way inside?"

Hook took a deep breath. He didn't want to tell her about Graham kidnapping that princess all those years ago. It wasn't of her concern and the less people knew about it the better. He couldn't need anybody to question his connection to the huntsman especially not Regina and Cora. They would team up to kill him despite all their issues with one another, if they'd find out.

"I know it", he stated and his voice sounded like this theme was done now, "just like I know about the servants, Swan. It won't work if they suddenly run into you and don't know who you are. Not to mention the servants. They usually know each other pretty good."

"One could think you really are worried for me", she said like she didn't believe this to be possible at all.

"I need you to find…him…so of course I don't want to loose you here."

She didn't need to know that he really was worried for her and that just because she had impressed him. She had made him curious for her, had made him think things he hadn't thought of for several years now and was confusing him. She was a challenge, since she kept pushing him back in every possible way, while other women usually were open to him. He cared for her, like for one of his mates and he had to admit to himself that he was interested in her sexually as well. It was refreshing to have her around. At the same time it was dangerous to be close to her, because he felt deep in his heart that she could change everything. He just didn't know weather to the better or the worse. He was attracted to her and at the same time he felt repelled by her. What was thrilling about this was that she didn't now any of this, which was telling a lot about her. If she would have known it, he could have at least been able to blame her for it. Hell, he couldn't even be honest with himself if it was about her, he knew that. But he wouldn't start to be now.

Emma rolled her eyes like she didn't care and put up a package that looked like a bag of laundry, "fine. I'll try my luck. See you later. Take this with you."

He frowned as she shoved the package into his arms, "what is that?"

"Something you better won't lose", she warned him, "or I could decide our contract is broken."

"Why don't you carry it along?"

"Nobody will ever believe me, that I'm doing laundry at this time of the day."

He could almost imagine what was inside there, if she reacted like this to him. It was her cloths and he could understand that it definitely was important. Maybe he'd just do her the favor.

"See you later", she repeated and walked away.

Hook stared at her. It was like he hadn't said anything at all. He followed her a few steps as she threatened to leave him behind and stopped her with his hand on her left arm, "wait. Why are we separating now?"

She looked over her shoulder, "I can hardly run around here with a pirate on my heels, can I? Just wait here. I'll be back in some minutes."

He watched her walking down the hall, leaving him behind like a stray dog. He wouldn't wait here. It just wasn't like him to stay back and wait until others were done with the action. It had never been. He waited until she was gone, just to make sure she suddenly wouldn't change her mind, before he went into the opposite direction. It was clear she definitely wouldn't change her mind again, now that she really had left him behind. She wasn't like any other woman he had ever met. She was stubborn, she didn't listen, she was reckless and she believed to know everything better. She loved to do things her own way and was already influencing him with that after just maybe one week being around her. But she was tough, skilled, a real beauty even though she was hiding it really well, she was smart, she might be the first woman he really could acknowledge ever after Milah's death and somehow she got right under his skin. He wasn't sure if he really liked that, but it definitely was something to appreciate.

Hook tried to remember what Graham had told him about the princess' kidnapping all those years ago and walked into the direction he believed to be right according to that story. Maybe her plan would help him in the end. If she'd be noticed by anyone she would draw everyone's attention so he could be able to search around freely for a while. And he was certain she'd be noticed since the people were more careful ever since the prince had been taken.

When they had entered the castle he had already be worried about how they should find the boy's room without anybody noticing, since his parents would be sticking around there grieving for him for sure. He had come up with the idea to split up, but he had thought, she wouldn't agree to that. So he had started to search through unimportant rooms, hoping she would be annoyed of him and would decide to split herself. Then she could have been the perfect distraction and he could have made it up to the royals' chambers easily. Never would he have believed it to turn out like this. She was surprising. He liked it, even though he really could see the risk in her plan. When he had warned her, he had been serious. She was putting herself into danger with this idea, but she was more than capable of taking care of herself, so he didn't run after her but followed his memories of what Graham had told him about the castle back then, when he had been entrusted with kidnapping a princess all those years ago.

Her package he carried along, because he felt like he owed it to her for manipulating her like that, even though in the end she had been as positive and full of her idea, that he wasn't even certain he had manipulated her into it at all.

Hook hide behind a corner and checked if he could continue his way without anybody noticing him and envied her for her disguise even though it wouldn't be of help for long. Servants usually knew everything that was going on in a castle, so they knew if there had been someone employed lately or not. Maybe she would be able to fool the male servants with her beauty, but not the women.

She really had been gorgeous in that dress. Too bad he might never see her like that again. He looked at his hand he had used to pull her closer back in that cabinet. Maybe it was good she wasn't always looking like that. It made it easier to focus on the important things.

He stopped himself from thinking about her and focused on his way before he could start to wonder what would have happened if she would have been dressed like that in that bloody wardrobe. He stopped, before he could imagine things he shouldn't be imagining, things she would hate him for as soon as she'd find out about them. This wasn't the time. She wasn't the right person for this. They were a team. He mustn't think about it.

Not now, not with her!

Maybe.

* * *

Obviously it was already quite late, since she barely met any servants or guests of the royal family on her way through the castle. There had only been guards walking around in the halls but they didn't pay any attention to her. Maybe because of the dress she was wearing? Or because of the tray with wine and water she had taken out of a salon and kept carrying along as a cover? Maybe both.

It was just when a servant suddenly asked her who she was that a guard would focus on her until she'd say, "I'm new. I've been employed just this morning." Then they would relax again believing it like there wasn't even a single person in the world who would dare to lie in Snow White's and Charming's castle or even their whole realm. It was almost frustrating who trustful they were after their prince had been taken out of his bed.

Yes, He had disappeared out of his bed. She had heard about it from the servants. They proofed to be the best source of information even though she had to select between truth and gossip. She had learned that his foster-mother, Hillary, had noticed his disappear first. Now she was taking care of a boy named Roland who was the son of the famous Robin Hood, who had volunteered to help search for the prince. Snow White, who had avoided that boy before, seemed to love him and evil tongues even said that she used him to replace her missing son.

Some said Prince Henry had disappeared out of his bed, others that it happened while practicing shooting or while walking around in the castle and others believed that he had disappeared while playing in the gardens. Everything was possible except the theory of Henry being taken right out of his mother's tender hug.

After everything she had heard now she wanted to check the theory with his bedroom first. It seemed to be the best one since there would have been someone who would have noticed his disappear if it would have happened outside the moment it happened. An eleven year old prince usually wasn't on his own in the gardens or even practicing anything. In his bed sleeping or at least trying to on the other hand seemed quite possible.

Emma made her way through the corridors and passed the door to the room where the Queen, her husband, the dwarfs, fairies, the werewolf Ruby and her grandmother and Jiminy Cricket were meeting to discuss what they'd discovered now, as she had heard from some servants. The urge to eavesdrop was very high but she didn't want to take the risk to be caught through somebody suddenly opening the door or something supernatural like a fairy feeling her presence in front of the door. It was too risky even though she was more than curious about what they had to tell each other. Who knew? Maybe there would even be something useful for them.

Emma bit her bottom lip before she changed her mind and leaned at the dark and cold wood of the closed door hoping she would hear something, but there was nothing. She didn't know if it was weather the wood was too strong or because there had been a spell placed upon it.

She walked up to a staircase that lead to the next floor where the bedrooms of the royals were supposed to be. She was still caring the tray with her. It would be the perfect disguise. If someone would ask her about what she was doing there, she could easily pretend to serve something to drink, since Snow White had asked her to bring it up for later on and if she would accidentally meet one of the royals themselves she would pretend to care about them.

When she reached the hall on the next floor, she noticed that there were no guards at all. She was all alone. There were three doors that lead into different rooms or at least she believed so. One of them had to lead into a turret.

Deciding that a room inside a turret usually was chosen for a girl, she took the door to the right. Sadly, she had been wrong. It didn't lead to the prince's chamber. Emma guessed this was the one of the royal pair. She closed the door behind her back and froze when someone suddenly said, "may I help you?"

The woman's voice sounded angry and strong. Emma could almost feel the drilling gaze of hers between her shoulder blades, as she wondered how this woman had even managed to sneak up behind her like that.

Even though she was quite surprised, she tried to stay calm and balanced her tray carefully, as she turned to face the woman. She was a little smaller than her, her hair was brown and she was wearing a coif that was covering almost all of her hair. She was dressed in dress with white top and brown skirt. On top of it she was wearing a white apron. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, as she stared her down with her grey eyes. She almost glared at her like she had caught her doing something bad, before her eyes wandered to the tray in her hands, while Emma's attention got caught by a pirate sneaking into the room right across this one behind the woman's back right in this moment. As he disappeared from her view, Emma looked at the woman immediately before she would notice something.

She was sure she hadn't covered her surprise to see Hook with her bag in his hands, sneaking into this room at all. Hopefully the maiden had misunderstood it as a reaction to her sudden appear behind her back.

The woman's eyes narrowed as she expected Emma's attire, "who are you? I've never seen you here before."

She had just two options. First, she could throw the tray at her and knock her out before she would be able to scream, but the falling tray would already be loud enough to draw attention in this huge castle where it would echo loudly through the halls at this late hour. And second, she could just lie like she had planned to in the first place even though she had a bad feeling about that woman. Her instincts were warning her, that it wouldn't work. Something about the way she was looking at her, was giving her goose bumps. But if it would work she might be able to join Hook unless she would decide to keep an eye on her.

"I'm new", Emma said as she hoped in a shy voice and blinked resisting the urge to take another look over her shoulder to check the door Hook had just disappeared through. Something about that was making her angry even though she couldn't place a finger on it yet. For that she was too caught up in her current situation now.

The woman seemed still to be skeptical when she said, "nice dress you have there."

"Thank you."

"What are you doing here", she asked like she was just curious.

"I was told to bring something to drink here", Emma lied right into her face.

"And you brought wine", she said surprised, "didn't anybody tell you that the majesties haven't drank anything but water ever since the prince disappeared?"

"No", Emma said and she didn't even need to pretend to be nervous anymore. Maybe she would need her first option anyway.

"You are lying", the woman stated and destroyed all her hopes of her plan working after all. But before she could do something the maiden said, "you don't need to. It's okay if you wanted to get to know the castle better. Tomorrow is your first day, isn't it? It must be since I haven't seen you the entire day."

Emma let out a breath, "it is. I'm sorry for lying to you, but I was just so nervous about tomorrow so I simply grabbed this tray and wandered through the castle. It'll be so much easier to start tomorrow if I already know the rooms."

The woman nodded slowly and looked at her dress again, "and where did you get that dress?"

Emma decided not to pretend it was her own. The maiden's reaction had been too strange, when she had seen it, "someone gave it to me when I arrived this evening. I didn't have the time to unpack yet and I was wet from the rain earlier."

Emma waited for her reaction, hoping she would believe her. It had rained earlier, when they had reached the bridge they had been hiding at. It was good to wind some truth into a lie. It made the lie more realistic.

"I don't envy you", the maid suddenly said and explained when she noticed Emma's reaction, "you must know this dress belongs to Hillary."

"Who is that?"

"She is the foster-mother and she won't like you to wear her dress at all."

"But if I explain it to her-"

"She won't care", she interrupted her, as she took the tray out of her hands and entered the room to place the carafe of water and the two glasses on a side table, "she isn't the type of person to care at all."

"You don't like her", Emma stated and watched her walking to the bed to make it ready for the night.

"No", she said pulling back the bedspread and folding it carefully, "no, I don't. Even though I might be the only person in this castle." She froze and stared at Emma, "please don't tell anyone. It would cause me trouble."

"I won't", Emma said honestly since she would never have the opportunity to do so, "but why do you dislike her so much?"

The maiden sighed and pushed the pillows to loosen their feathers, "she took my job. When she arrived here I was the one being responsible for Henry…sorry…Prince Henry of course."

Emma leaned back at the doorframe and watched her curious, "what happened? Did you do something wrong? Did she make it look like that?"

"No", the woman looked up to her, a sad smile on her lips, "she is more…wicked than to do something like that so openly. No, she just convinced everyone she was better than I."

She sighed again and walked around the bed to sink into one of the chairs standing beside the side table she had placed the water on before, "I don't know how she did it, but suddenly everyone seemed to like her and even the majesties trusted her more than me, even though I had made my job well ever since the prince had been born."

"What did he think about this", Emma asked and wondered what might have happened that Snow White and Charming would stop trusting their foster-mother.

"He didn't like her."

"Are you certain", she asked thinking that she might be talking out of jealousy.

The maiden almost jumped back to her feet out of excitement, "sure I am! He said he didn't believe her anything and he was afraid of her. He told me himself."

"Did you tell his parents about it?"

She breathed away tears suddenly appearing in her eyes and picked up the tray from her the side table, "yes, I tried once. But they didn't want to hear it. Even Henry couldn't convince them. I'm so worried for him."

She walked up to Emma and stared her down again in a sudden switch of emotion, "you must not tell anyone."

"I won't", Emma repeated.

She wasn't convinced, "I shouldn't have told you. As soon as you meet her, you won't care anymore but just tell her."

"No", Emma tried to convince her and let her through, "I assure you, I won't."

The maiden stared at her for a long moment, "I want to believe you so badly. It would be so great to actually have someone to trust here. But I've got to be careful and I don't know you enough yet. So if you tell her, I'll tell her about the dress and believe me, if I do, nobody will want to work with you again because she will hate you for it." She disappeared down the hall and the stairs without paying any more attention to her.

Emma watched her, insecure about what she should feel and think about her. On one side, she wasn't certain, that she had always told her the truth, especially not if it came to Snow White and Charming. It just didn't seem to match to everything she had heard about them that they would simply listen to a woman talking bad about another one. But the thing about the prince not liking the new foster-mother seemed to be true and wrong at the same time.

Emma felt awful since she didn't know what to think about this. She just couldn't divide the truth from a lie in this sentence and that had never happened before. Was it because she felt sorry for her? If it was true and she really was the one being treated unfair like this, than she was a lonely fighter in this castle and not just her but everyone would be in trouble here. Her reaction to all this in the end was just natural, because she definitely seemed to be desperate.

But she had been thinking about the foster-mother before, too. This Hillary had been the first person who had noticed the prince was missing and if he really had been taken right out of his bed, then the possibility was high, that she even was the last person who had seen him at all. If the prince really had been scared of her, which belonged to the thing that had been strangely wrong and true at the same time somehow, then she really was something.

Emma walked up to the door Hook had sneaked through and entered Henry's chamber. It was a very light room with huge windows but no balcony. To her right was a huge bed, besides a door that might lead to the dressing room. To her left was a sitting area with a rocking chair and a bookshelf. And everywhere were lying around toys just like the prince had left the room seconds ago. It looked like nothing had been moved ever since he had disappeared.

"Hook", she whispered into the room since she couldn't find him anywhere and searched the room once again, "where are you?"

"I'm surprised", he said to her right suddenly standing beside the bed his arms crossed in front of his chest, "I didn't believe you'd make it here."

"Obviously", Emma said coldly, "or you wouldn't have come up here, would you?"

He smiled charmingly and made a gesture that involved the whole room, "do you notice anything?"

Emma let her gaze wander through the room once again until it stopped at the bed. She came closer carefully making sure that she wouldn't stumble over a toy lying to her feet until she was standing right beside the bed.

"Why the bed", Hook asked and leaned forward to take a closer look from its other side as well.

"Don't act dumb", Emma said looking into his eyes shortly before she pointed at something lying on the blanket, "you've already noticed that, haven't you?"

He stood straight again, "it's some kind of dust. Look's like ashes."

"What now", Emma asked and looked at him.

"Well, there is nothing that would proof it wasn't…her."

"But there isn't anything telling otherwise as well, is there?"

"I've checked the whole room while you were chatting with that lass", he shrugged, "nothing."

Emma took another look around and her eyes focused on the sitting area in front of a fireplace. There were ashes lying on the floor and something was blinking between the burned logs in the hearth of the fireplace. They had been cold for a long time now.

"Did you notice that", she asked and walked p to it once again avoiding the toys on the floor. Hook followed her, she could feel it. She kneeled down and searched through the ashes until she found what she had noticed before.

It was a ring with an engraving at the inside. It was golden and quite big for Emma's hand. She turned it around to read what was written there, "and heads shall roll."

She looked up over her right shoulder and met Hook's eyes, "what does that mean?"

She knew that he knew the answer. She could read it in his eyes and he wasn't too pleased with what they had just found out. Emma stood up again caught between the fireplace and him. To look over her at the ring, he had placed his hand on the mantelpiece to steady himself while leaning over her before. Now that she was standing again, he had changed his balance but he was still too caught up in his thoughts to let go of the mantelpiece again. He was closer than arm's length since she didn't want to step into the ashes, so she wouldn't leave footprints because of it later on.

"That means, Regina was right", he said slowly in a dark voice, "which means, we have to break into her mother's castle and search through it."

Emma looked down at that ring in her right hand and frowned. Why did he think of Cora if he saw its engraving? The witch was famous for reaping out hearts and not for cutting off heads. She felt his gaze directed at her face before she saw it. When she looked up again he was frowning, "you doubt it anyway."

"I don't know", she said honestly the evidence lying heavily in her hand and the story of the maiden battling with it in her thoughts.

"Why not?"

"What makes you think of her if you see that", she asked curiously since she couldn't understand the connection between the ring and Cora at all. Somehow she just couldn't shake off, what the woman had told her about this Hillary the foster-mother so maybe that was her reason to doubt it.

What was more problematic for her about this was that Hook had noticed it just by looking at her within seconds. How was he able to read people like that? She would never understand it and somehow she envied him for it.

If she would have been able to do it nine years ago, then she wouldn't have ended up betrayed, imprisoned and in need of Graham's help. But most likely she had to be thankful for it since she met Graham and spent the maybe happiest time of her whole life with him. Graham had been very important to her and she had to be thankful for him and everything he had taught her.

Nevertheless it would be useful to be capable of it now, since she had to cope with Hook and his crew. Even though she could divide his lies from the truth most of the time and by his men even easier than with him, she never was certain if she really was right in the end and if she'd know him better and more easily just like he did, it would be less dangerous for her to be around him.

"That's a way too long story now, Love", he stepped back again and made his way to the dressing room, "check if the hall is free so I can leave again, would you?"

Emma looked down at the ring again, before she shoved it into a pocket of the apron around her waist and balanced through the toys back to the door. They would need to discuss several things by the time they'd come back. She definitely wanted to know why the first person to come up in his mind had been Cora when he had seen that ring. And they had to discuss and consider what that maiden had told her about the foster-mother. If it really was true that Henry didn't trust her, then it was possible that she was involved in all of this, too.

"Don't forget my bag", she whispered in the doorframe. He held it out of the dressing room dangling from his hook, "have it."

Emma smiled as she left the room and entered the hall. She looked up and down the hall when she noticed the third door on this floor. It was old and somehow it made her curious. She gave in to the urge to open it and walked up to it to do so. It was like the door had a strange power over her, just like it was calling her, pulling her closer with invisible strings attached to her legs and arms. Her hands started to tickle with the urge to open it to take a look inside. She couldn't explain or even understand where this need to open it was coming from at all, since this room had nothing to do with their problem of the missing prince. It was just a door to another room on this floor. She didn't know what was inside and she shouldn't even care about it. But still she couldn't stop herself. It was just like the room was causing an inner need for her to open it and look inside. It was like she had been cursed with it, so she would sneak inside, so she couldn't stop herself from doing it.

"What are you doing", the voice of a woman suddenly asked from behind her. She stopped her hand already lying on the doorknob, when she came back to her senses. Emma turned on her heels expecting another maiden standing behind her, since she didn't recognize her voice as the one of the woman from before and froze, when she noticed who it actually was. Why did she have to meet her of all people? Why couldn't she be lucky? How should she explain this to Hook if she'd get back to the Jolly Roger? How should she get back to it at all?

* * *

Emma bent down in a curtsey and waited, staring to the ground until she would be allowed to stand straight and look at her again. She was a little afraid to be discovered if she was honest. Everything had worked so well that it would just be annoying to be caught just because she hadn't been carefully enough but curious and foolish, so she had stumbled right into Snow White's arms.

"I'm sorry", she said right away with a nervous voice she didn't even need to act out.

"Who are you", Snow White asked politely and curious and allowed her to stand up again. She looked at her like she hadn't expected her to bend down at all. She looked at her face for a long moment, obviously trying to remember who she was. She frowned as noticed that she wasn't able to.

"Emma", she said without thinking it through, her name simply popping up in her mind, "my name is Emma, my majesty." Had she been too honest now? At least she hadn't spilled her last name. It would have given her away for certain. The question was for what? For being the bounty hunter Swan, chasing down even the cruelest culprits or for being the bandit Swan, stealing everything and disappearing before anyone even noticed she had taken something? Her past was still haunting her after all.

Snow White was starring at her like she was seeing a ghost. It took her a moment to snap out of it whatever it was she was thinking about after hearing her name. Emma had no idea what could have caused her confusion.

Just like she didn't understand why she suddenly started to excuse herself like a little child being caught searching through her mother's stuff hoping to find a birthday present for herself because she was just too curious to wait until it would be given to her, "I'm new and I wanted to make myself familiar with the castle. I'm sorry if I was about to enter a room I shouldn't have or if I came into this floor without permission, my majesty."

The Queen blinked before she smiled at her, "it's fine. If you want to I'll show you. But I've got to ask you not to touch anything. And don't be surprised. It'll be very dirty in there since there hasn't been anyone who had entered this room for twenty-seven years now."

"Why not", Emma asked before she could stop herself and wondered what could be in there.

Snow White seemed to be embarrassed to admit it, "it was too painful, I guess. And in the end we just wanted to leave everything the way it had been."

She didn't wait for another question of Emma, but simply opened the door and walked past her entering the room. It was strange but suddenly Emma was afraid to enter the chamber that was inside the turret. She was nervous and couldn't understand why at all.

Slowly she turned around and looked inside without entering the room while Snow White lit up some candles. Dust was moving around her. It was lying so thick that everything the candles' light toughed seemed to be grey. She noticed that this room was an old nursery. There was a cot, a closet, a rocking chair, toys, small puppets looking like a knight and a lieutenant to both sides of the cot, a mobile with little unicorns and for some strange reason, she couldn't understand at all, there was a wardrobe in the shape of a tree trunk right beside the cot. Behind all that was a huge glass door that lead to a balcony. She could seven see the moon's reflection on the surface of the sea.

Everything seemed to be so familiar that it was frightening. With every candle Snow White lit it got worse. Emma suddenly had a picture of a room in her mind bathed into a warm light, birds playing in front of the opened door to the balcony, puppets to both sides of a bed looking like a navy-man and a knight and that strange treelike wardrobe.

She stepped back before she knew what she was doing at all. She wanted to escape Snow White and even more that room she didn't dare to enter anymore now. She wanted to banish those pictures showing up in her head like a strange dream.

Luckily Snow White was so caught up in that room and lightning it up that she didn't notice how she was slowly stepping back. It took her several steps to calm down again, but it was just Hook pulling at her arm that made her turn her back at the room and Snow White. She blinked for several times, before she finally looked at him.

He seemed to be worried and quite stressed when he took her arm and lead her down the staircase she hadn't seen before. She was still too caught up in her trance, so she barely noticed that this had to be the way he had taken up here. There were no doors and the way was barely light up, since nobody usually used it at this hour. It had to be the way for the servants, but it seemed nobody usually used it, since Snow White and Charming were fine with them using the normal way through the castle.

Just when guards suddenly started to shout after them, Emma really snapped out of it. She took a short look back when Hook already pulled her along again, "bloody hell, would you just concentrate?"

Emma freed her arm, "go ahead."

They ran down the staircase to another floor and hurried across the hall to reach the next one. When they were close to it, guards suddenly ran up the stairs. They placed strikes at them with their swords, yelling, that they should give up. Hook fought them back as good as he could, but there were just too many of them, when the ones who had been following them down reached them. Emma pulled a wall hanging from the wall and threw it at them. It flew and buried them underneath it, so they had a hard time to free themselves again.

Hook wrapped his hook around her wrist and pulled her down the next staircase. She barely picked up her package that he had thrown to the floor as soon as he had started to fight the guards. It was annoying she couldn't help him with that, because she couldn't reach her knifes. Her sword was safe at the Jolly Roger where it couldn't be of any help for them. They reached the next floor and as new guards ran up to them, Emma wrapped his arm around her neck and started to scream, "Help, he is trying to kill me."

"What", Hook snapped and stared at her in disbelieve.

"Play along", she growled trying not to move her lips too much, before she yelled for help again.

Hook noticed the guards stopping to run for them, insecure of what they should do now and pulled her along backwards, "you better listen to the lass, guys. I'd be highly disappointed in you if I'd need to kill her."

The guards stopped and watched them approaching the next staircase waiting for a right moment to attack him like a cat stalking a bird. They didn't want to harm Emma since they really believed her to be a victim. Her plan was working just fine for them. That was until they stopped in front of the window to the hall.

The guards she had stopped with the wall hanging upstairs ran down the stairs screaming, "stop them. They are both the burglars."

The guards in front of them stared at them in confusion, while Hook changed their posture and looked back over his shoulder, so the hair at the side of his head caressed her cheek.

The guards suddenly decided to attack and jumped forward, but before they could even cut one of them, Hook jumped back through the window, pulling her along by wrapping his hooked arm around her waist. Glass broke and flew after them, but didn't cut them, since Hook's coat was protecting him and he was holding her as close as his arms were protecting her as well. She was caught in his arms like in a cage and their faces were safe since they jumped backwards.

They flew through the air, without any safety-net or even seeing where they would end up if they'd hit the ground, while the guards were looking after them in disbelieve. Suddenly they stopped flying and hid something soft that caught their fall and pushed them up a little, before they finally were lying on a carriage filled with straw.

Emma let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding and freed herself out of Hooks grip. She came back to her knees and ignored the straw sticking into her bare legs underneath her skirt. She looked at Hook who was still lying on his bag, breathing heavily, his eyes closed.

"Hook", she asked afraid he could be hurt badly enough to die, "Hook."

He coughed and opened one of his eyes to grin at her, "worried for me, Love?"

She threw straw at him, "idiot." Then she jumped back to her feet and pulled him up as well. His coat had saved him from getting cut and the back of his head was just fine as well, since he had made a humpback, as he had jumped back.

When Emma jumped off the carriage it became noisy again, because the guards left the castle to run up to them once more. She stared at them for a short second in which Hook followed her down and pulled her along again. They ran back through the between portal that parted the main castle from the small town in front of it surrounded by the outer wall, before they could let down the grate and cut off their way.

Hook and Emma rushed down the street where the horseman had almost noticed them on their way inside and ran up to the small portal for the fishermen where two of their pirates were already waiting for them. They held free their backs and fought off the guards, walking backwards across the bridge, until they could reach their boat, where Base was already loosening the ropes, through which their boat was tied to the little island.

Hook jumped inside and held out his hand to her, when she lost her package and stopped to pick it up. He yelled something at her, but she couldn't understand it. She ignored it, slipped across the wet ground and fell right into his opened arms, when Base grabbed the paddles and started to move them.

The two pirates dressed up like guards left on the island jumped into the water and swam after them until they could stop and pull them on board as well. They were safe as long as nobody would start shooting arrows at them.

* * *

It was strange to be back in here since she had started to avoid this room ever since Henry had been born. She hadn't done that because she had stopped to care about Emma or because she had forgotten about her first born child, but because she had been too caught up in raising and protecting her second one against Regina until last year. She had been too focused on keeping him close to her because she had been afraid of loosing him as well. How ironically that it had happened twice now anyway.

But all that hadn't been the only reason for her to avoid this room. It had been too painful to come in here knowing that her daughter was and might even have grown into a woman despite the curse locking everyone in time since Henry did as well. It had been too painful even after all those years passing by, because she was still wondering if Emma was all right, if she was happy and healthy and if she even was still alive.

For those past years she hadn't allowed herself to wonder about Emma growing older without her or already being dead because she had been killed or because there hadn't been anyone to take care of her in a proper way, if there had been someone at all. She hadn't allowed to herself of all the things she had missed with Emma but had experienced with Henry like the first laugh, the first word, the first smile, the first steps, her first cry because she had hurt herself and all the other things. And she hadn't wanted to burden Henry with any of this as well.

Sure, they had told him of Emma when he had become eight. He knew that she was missing and that she had disappeared right out of her bed when she had just been born. They had told him how much they still loved her and that they had done everything in their power to find her. That had been all, since they didn't know anything more about her, but that she was supposedly fine.

Snow took a deep breath when she lit up the candles in here. It really was dusty in here but the room had lost nothing of its influence on her. It was still magical and beautiful. And somehow she wasn't as sad as she had been once when she had entered it before. Maybe the reason she had decided to come back in here was comforting her as well.

It was the maiden's name that had encouraged her to come back into this room again, the name of her daughter so suddenly mentioned, that had given her strength somehow. Maybe it indeed was comforting her?

She didn't care. With every candle she lit up something of her old strength seemed to come back to her again just like it had been lingering in this room waiting for her to come back and fight for her family and her happiness once more.

And besides that there was something about this maiden sharing the same name with her lost daughter that was attracting her to her. Or was it the girl herself? She turned around to look at her expecting her to stand shyly in the doorframe as new maidens usually did when she had noticed that they had been doing something wrong, but she wasn't there anymore. She walked up to the door and found the hall was empty again.

Where had she gone? How had she disappeared all of a sudden the way she had shown up before? Had she been so caught up in her memories that Emma had decided to leave her alone? Had she simply imagined her?

"Snow", Charming ran up to her grunting like he had been running for a while now and froze when he noticed where she was standing. He stared at her standing in the doorframe of a room that hadn't been entered by her for such a long time enlightened by a lot of candles.

"What happened", she asked worried now and left the nursery behind to walk up to him.

"That's actually what I wanted to ask you", he said slowly and stared at the room behind her with an open mouth, before he placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "are you okay?"

Snow looked up to him in surprise. She was a little confused, "I guess, yes. Why do you ask?"

She noticed him shortly looking at the nursery behind her back.

"I'm confused", she admitted before he could ask her about it, "there was a young woman, a new maiden and she wanted to enter Emma's nursery and somehow I suddenly wanted to go inside myself. I started to light up the candles and when I turned to look at her, she was gone. And now I'm wondering if I just imagined her."

"Maybe you didn't", Charming said slowly without looking at her. He was still too focused on the room in her back that he hadn't seen ever since they had stopped searching for their daughter.

Snow White stared at him in surprise, "did you see her as well?"

"No", he finally met her eyes, "but the guards noticed someone sneaking around in the castle and are trying to track them down now. Amanda said she had noticed a man sneaking around. He seemed to have used the old way for the servants."

Just like they wanted to proof him right, they heard noise coming up the stairs that reminded them of a fight. It was as noisy as you could think they were in a war.

"What was that?"

Charming sighed, "the guards are trying to catch them."

Snow stared at him for a long moment until she finally understood. "You think they wanted to steal", she asked worried and rushed to Henry's room afraid they could have taken something from there.

"Or they wanted to cover their tracks", Charming said and followed on her heels, "they could have been the culprits since it was so easy for them to get up here."

Snow scanned the whole room. There wasn't anything she could notice that was missing or had changed at all. Everything looked exactly the same but if Charming was right, they would have taken something they hadn't noticed before at all.

She stopped beside the fireplace and noticed ashes on the floor right in front of it. She frowned and looked at Charming who was checking the dressing room. She could see him standing in the doorframe and waited for him to say something.

"One must have been standing here", he bowed down to pick something up and smelled at his finger, "here is a drop of alcohol."

"Do you remember if there were ashes in front of the fireplace?"

He walked up to her surprise shining through his eyes, "what could they have wanted there?"

"I have no idea", Snow said suddenly afraid all of them could have missed something important before. But she had no idea what this could possibly be.

Charming looked at her slightly worried as he noticed how tense she was, "what is it?"

Snow swallowed. She knew she didn't need to explain her thoughts to him. She was kind of embarrassed that she was still holding on to this after all she had just found out, "she said her name was Emma." Now that she had said it, she was surprised to notice how much it actually meant to her. She had never expected it to be that important to her.

Charming let out a breath and looked at her like he was sorry for her. She could understand it and in another situation she would have felt cared for, but right now she just hated it.

"What if it was our Emma? What if she came back and…had to leave again? Maybe she was forced? She wouldn't know about us", she almost cried. She wanted it to be true so badly, but she already assumed that she was wrong.

"Or the thief was just using our memories to distract you", he said gently, "it could have been an evil trick, Snow."

She didn't want to believe that he couldn't hope for it as well, "have you given up on her?"

"No", he defended himself, "I'm just trying to see all options. Snow there could be thousands of people with exactly the same name out there."

She didn't like what he was saying. But he had a point there.

"But she gave me strength. It was because of her that I entered Emma's nursery and you know what? I'm not feeling lost and caught up in my fears anymore but I can hope again."

He walked up to her to take her in her arms before he said, "in that case there might have been at least one good thing about their break in."

She kissed him tenderly and cuddled into his hug, knowing that he just said this to support her even though he didn't believe her. It felt like in old days when they had supported each other like this, fighting against Regina and King George.

"If you're going to make out now, I'll puke", Regina entered the room as they drew apart again, "the guards didn't catch them and I came back here to late either. What did they take?"

Snow stared at her, "weren't you with Robin fighting the ogres?"

"That was just an illusion. I took care of it", she rolled her eyes and looked around without touching anything.

* * *

Emma barely paid attention to the orders Hook made to his men, as they hurried across the water or as they carried their boat across the small road that lead right through the ocean. She was too lost in her thoughts to care about any of it even as they came back on board the Jolly Roger. She didn't care about his commands to set sail, but simply took her package and went back to their cabin.

She knew she should use the moment to change back into her own cloths she had protected so badly, but she wasn't in the right mood. The moonlight shining through the windows at the heck of the Jolly Roger was just too matching to her current mood. She walked up to the windows, stopped in front of them and stared out of them, her arms crossed in front of her chest like she was supporting herself.

She barely noticed Hook entering the room and demanding to know what was going on with her in that castle. He kept talking, waited for her answer, which didn't come and continued scolding her, because she had risked both of their lives through talking with Snow White and walking up to that bloody room. He wanted to see the ring once more, so she fished it out of her apron and gave it to him without looking at him, what angered him even more. He kept scolding her, asking if she was nuts and had just forgotten to tell him about it, until he stopped yelling and sat down in the chair right behind her as if he was exhausted.

Emma kept thinking about all this. She remembered every second of her conversation with Snow White and she was scared of her reaction to it. She couldn't understand it and she didn't want to talk about it. She just wanted to breathe until she would be calm enough again to think of something else.

"What the hell was wrong with you there", Hook asked once more after maybe half an hour, but he wasn't as angry as he had been when they had left the castle or when he had entered the room anymore. He was sitting at the desk behind her, his back turned on her and the window while he was inspecting the ring like he was hoping the words on it had magically changed or disappeared in the meantime. If Emma wasn't mistaken, he was as caught up in it as he didn't really pay attention to her anymore at all. His anger had vanished into his own thoughts and worries.

She was glad about it. It allowed her to make up her mind and think about what had happened with Snow White and that strange room before, now that she was ready to think about, without sharing her thoughts. It had been so intense and still she had no idea where this feeling of familiarity or even the images of this room, when it would be clean had come from at all. It was confusing. It frightened her.

"Swan?"

So he hadn't been as distracted as she had wanted him to be. Too bad.

"I don't know", she finally said in a low voice and kept starring out of the windows. Even in the dark she could see the waves and their white cups moving and it was comforting her more than she would have ever believed it to be possible.

"Good to know you risked our lives for nothing", he said sarcastically.

"Why don't we talk about you knowing about a way up to the right room that wouldn't be as watched as the one I had to take", she turned around to finally look at him. She was sick of hearing his questions about something she couldn't answer and of being reminded of her mistakes over and over again. She didn't want to think about it anymore and she for sure didn't want to tell him about it.

Hook finally put the ring on his desk and looked at her, like he wasn't impressed at all, "you should be glad I didn't or I couldn't have followed you up unnoticed and then you would have never gotten out of there again after screwing up like that, Love."

"Seriously", she snapped back, "weren't you the one wasting our time by searching through the servants' rooms because you wanted me to split up with you in order to draw everyone's attention, so you could easily reach that damn floor? And wasn't it you who screwed up because you were noticed by the guards? I made it up unnoticed."

"We'll never know if they noticed me and not you."

"Strange, I heard them yelling "there he is", as they ran up to us."

He suddenly grinned at her, "I already wondered when you would finally be normal again, Love."

"What", she asked and stared at him confused.

"I knew you hadn't lost your fire", he reached for his flask, pushed off its cork and took a sip, "but it was almost gone."

Emma stared at him in confusion, but she ignored what he had just said, "why didn't you just tell me about your plan instead of tricking me into it? We had a deal remember?"

"Had?"

"I'm not the one who broke it."

Hook sighed, "I didn't tell you everything because I knew you wouldn't agree to it."

"So you decided to act like an idiot instead? Good decision, just too bad it didn't work the way you wanted it to."

"But we've found the evidence we wanted and we're still alive and free, aren't we", he pointed at the ring that was still lying on the desk.

Emma walked up to it and picked it up to take a closer look at it once more. The words were clearly written on it and they hadn't changed.

Hook watched her carefully, "what is it?"

She looked at him wondering what he actually meant. He read her face, "come on, Swan. I know something's up. What is it?"

She frowned and focused on the ring again, "I just don't believe it is hers."

He raised an eyebrow, "it is hers, Swan."

"How do you know that", she asked seriously and wondered about his history with Cora once again.

"Unimportant", he surrounded the desk and opened the door to shout for Smee before he continued, "fact is, I do know."

Emma looked at him as he stepped back from the door, so his first mate wouldn't crash into him, when he'd enter the room, "why aren't you telling me?"

"It's none of your business and since it's got nothing to do with our deal, I won't tell you."

Emma couldn't believe that. Was he serious? They were about to take on a woman who was powerful and hated him enough to hunt him down because of the past they obviously shared and it didn't have anything to do with their deal? She was supposed to risk her life and he didn't even want to tell her why?

"So risking my life by getting involved with you and fighting… her-"

"We won't fight her, we will just steal a kid back", he interrupted her.

She wasn't pleased at all, "come on, you don't really believe that yourself. If she really kidnapped the prince she won't just keep him without making sure he can't escape or be saved and if that's the case, we will have to fight her. So risking my life because of her has got nothing do with me? You've got to be kidding me."

"I thought you didn't believe it was her", he said smartly and walked up to her again.

"Just earlier you mentioned how dangerous it would be to enter her "space of influence" so it doesn't matter if she is the culprit or not. If not it'll be even worse, since we'll risk our lives for nothing and we'll waste more time searching for him."

"So you're just afraid of her", he took the ring out of her hand and raised an eyebrow. He was challenging her. He thought if he was acting like she was a scared little girl he could make her do it anyway just like he had manipulated her in the castle before. Too bad it did work.

"I'm not", she stated growling, "I just want to know who we are up against."

"Are you talking of taking on Cora now", Smee who had just entered the room unnoticed asked from the doorframe. He was surprised to see them standing as close as they were now fighting like they hadn't been doing anything else for ages.

His sentence wasn't fully finished when they already stared at him like he was a ghost, being suddenly as silent as they were able to hear the men walk around on deck.

They exchanged a short glance, worried about the curse Cora had placed on her own name to find Hook, before they pushed him aside and ran up the stairs leaving him behind totally confused. He felt like he had missed a part of their conversation even though they hadn't said anything he hadn't heard ever since he had entered the room.

"Do you see something", Hook asked searching the sky for any flying fireballs directed at them or ravens aiming for them.

"No", she answered doing exactly the same just to the opposite direction, before she ran for the railing and searched the ocean, "nothing."

Emma turned to look at him again after a moment of silence where nothing changed about the silent night only being interrupted by the sound of the ocean below and around them, "do you think that curse is broken?"

"Why would she do that", Hook asked skeptically, "she still wants to hunt me down."

"Maybe she just got sick of it and doesn't want to anymore."

"She isn't the person to forget her vengeance."

"Just like you", she asked before she could stop herself and watched him.

He ignored her, "I don't believe she would give up and take back that curse unless she's got what she wants."

"Which would be your head on a silver tray?"

"Indeed", he almost grinned, "but I doubt she would be pleased if it was just silver."

Emma frowned as she walked up to him again, "and why the hell did nothing happen when Smee said her name?"

Hook took a look around while he took her arm to pull her along and answered her in a whisper, so his men, who looked at them in surprise since they had entered the deck so tense and Emma was still dressed in the maiden's dress, wouldn't hear him, "I don't know. But I'm not planning to find out about it, so better don't use that name."

Emma followed him back to the captain's cabin allowing him to pull her along. She couldn't understand why the curse hadn't done anything now. But Hook already had a clue. He didn't say it out loud but his thoughts were running wild trying to remember if Graham had ever said something about a woman helping him. He couldn't think of anything like that. But depending on what Regina had told him about it and what he had just seen himself the only solution to this was, that Emma had been involved in the destroyed curse and what had happened back then. He decided to change the subject before she would pick up those questions and ask him about his past with Cora again, so he would be able to think everything through when things would have calmed down again and he could do it calmly and carefully, "why do you doubt it was her?"

"What?"

"Why do you doubt…Regina's mother took the prince", he closed the door behind her and signed Smee to wait, before he crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched her. It was more difficult to avoid Cora's name if you used it in your thoughts all the time. And it was strange to avoid it since you never knew if the person you were talking with understood who you were talking about.

Emma slowly shook her head. It took her a moment to think of this again now all of a sudden and she couldn't understand why he didn't want to discuss or find out about why the curse hadn't worked or at least why nothing had happened.

She finally sighed, walked up to the desk and searched for the ring, "where is it?"

Hook held it out to her with his hook where he had pinned it up. She took it off and held it up, "because this is quite too obvious."

"Is it?"

"Indeed", Emma said looking at the ring for a second before she raised an eyebrow, "why would she leave such evidence behind?"

"Maybe it was accidentally", he stepped closer to her, curious of what she was thinking and totally forgetting about Smee who was still waiting for his orders.

"This is a ring, Hook, not a hairclip. You don't just lose rings especially if they have in engraving", she walked up to him enforced by her excitement since she just new she was right, "and what about the ashes on the bed? That doesn't make sense unless someone wanted to make sure we would find it."

"Maybe Regina's mother placed all this herself so she would be found out."

"And why didn't anyone else find it then", Emma asked skeptically, "why had it to be us to find it? I'm certain there have been a lot of people who searched that room before us. That doesn't make sense, Hook. No matter how you look at it."

"And what does make sense to you", he asked slowly avoiding to admit that she had a good point there.

"The foster-mother Hillary. She is manipulating everyone and she could have been perfectly able to take him without anyone even wondering why she entered his room. She was the last person who saw him and the first one to notice that he was gone. And she could have easily placed this wrong track."

Hook sighed. There was a problem with this theory, "and how did she get him out of the castle without anybody noticing it? How should she even have gotten the ring?"

Emma took a deep breath like she was about to give him the answer to that and let it out while taking a step back. She looked to the side in disappointment about the hole in her theory and was frustrated that she hadn't found the answer to that yet, since deep in her heart she just knew she was on to something, "I don't know. Maybe she just took the way you did?"

"With an eleven years old boy without anybody noticing it?"

"She could have simply hid him in the castle to bring him away later on."

"That's not likely", he said softly, "and we still don't know how she could have gotten a hold on that ring."

"But Regina's mother leaving such evidence behind is", Emma asked skeptically.

"Maybe she wanted to be discovered to lure Regina out and provoke her to confront her about Henry", he said slowly and tried to ignore her disappointment, which was hard, since she was still dressed up like a woman. She was beautiful and seemed as soft and vulnerable as you could easily break her with the wrong word.

"And why didn't anyone notice it before we showed up? They would have discovered it easily. The track was too obvious to be unnoticed especially if you're searching for a hint on why how and to where your own son disappeared to."

And again she had made a good point. It wasn't matching. He could see it as well. But still, "and you expect this Hillary to have created that track?"

"I don't know…maybe", she said insecure since she couldn't explain neither how she could have taken the prince and even less where she could have gotten that ring. She met his gaze. He was looking at her like he felt sorry for her. She needed to be certain, "yes."

"No matter how often we think this through, we have to start somewhere", he finally stated, "and I guess we should start with Cora, no matter how strange it is."

Emma looked at her hands and bit her bottom lip, "what…"

"What what?"

She looked up to him again, "what if Henry's missing and the ring have nothing to do with each other?"

Hook walked up to her again confused of what she was saying now, "what?"

She stepped forward either and looked straight into his eyes, "what if Regina's mother has placed the ring just recently so Regina would believe it had been her and would come to her. She could have found out about the missing prince and she could want to use the situation to her advantage."

"That's a little too much "what if", Swan, don't you think", he placed his hand on her left shoulder, "look, no matter how we look at it, we need to check on her. We can't leave out the chance that it really was her and that she just placed the track later on herself. That would be another possibility, too."

He watched her for a moment and noticed her disappointment. She really believed in her theories, but even though he wished to do it as well, so she would smile again, he knew they had to check Cora. He frowned. Why did he even want her to smile? It had to be the dress, nothing more.

He stepped back and walked up to Smee who had been waiting in a corner of the room just like he had wanted him to and signaled that their conversation was over. He knew she wouldn't be defeated that easily. For that there was too much of a pirate in her and she was too though. So he hurried to say, "Mr. Smee remind the crew that this one particular name is forbidden on my ship or anywhere near it and around me unless they want to die a horrible death and it won't be me to make that happen."

"Aye", the first mate said guiltily aware of the fact that he had just been scolded by his captain, "the name of Regina's mother is forbidden. I'll tell them, Sir."

"And bring me the mirror", he demanded, "and make sure there won't be any disturbance. I've got to do an important conversation", he turned around to Emma who had crossed her arms in front of her chest and watched him calmly. Too calmly if he was honest, "what?"

"This is wrong", she simply stated.

Hook sighed, "I'd be grateful if you'd just remain silent while I talk to her."

Emma shrugged, "fine. But you should tell her about this Hillary. If we find out that you've been mistaken and something happens to the boy because you didn't warn her she might want to make you suffer for the rest of you life if she won't just be the one to kill you."

Hook pulled up a corner of his mouth to put on a grin, "one could think you were worried for me, Love."

"I'm not", she answered without hesitation, "I'm just warning you."

"There are worse things than that", he said and his grin vanished.

"Maybe. But what makes you certain she won't think of those as well?"

He was speechless. The answer was "nothing", but he didn't want to say it out loud since he would need to explain to her, why it would still be meaningless to him. He had better things to do than this when Smee brought the covered mirror.

He watched her picking up her package and leaving the room. She didn't want to be around when he would talk with Regina. Maybe it was better like this.

Emma entered they galley and closed the door behind her. She knew that none of the pirates would dare to enter this room, if they wouldn't want to listen to Blake's ranting and the young pirate would be too shy to spy on her. She was safe in here.

She could understand Hook's decision, but she wasn't fine with it. What that maiden had told her about the foster-mother was just too present in her thoughts. Sure, she had her doubts about it, but it seemed to be more possible that this Hillary had been involved in the kidnapping of the prince than a ring of a powerful witch suddenly appearing out of nowhere in a room with almost obvious directions to it.

No, if they would check the witch's castle they would most likely ran into a trap.

* * *

"Is there something new", Robin asked as he entered the room where everyone was already gathered at the round table.

"We've found nothing", Snow answered disappointed and stood up, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Something about her had changed. Had he thought her to be weak, lost in her sorrow and without hope before so she seemed to be glowing of strength and hope now. To see her like that made it easier to believe that she had been a thief once before she had gotten her happy ending. Well, at least she had gotten in in regards of her true love. Happily ever after on the other hand didn't seem to work out so well. Maybe you just couldn't get both? Maybe your luck was used up after getting one of both? He could only hope that he was wrong about this.

"What about you? Did you find something", Charming asked and brought him back to the presence leaving his dark thoughts behind.

"Nothing", Robin answered, "the guards at the fisher-entrance just reported that there had been three of them. Two changed roles with them and one stayed with a boat. It was just when they tried to escape the guards that they even noticed the fourth man and the woman at all. They couldn't even tell us, how they managed to sneak up on them unnoticed."

"Is that everything", Ruby asked curiously. She was standing behind her grandmother's chair like she was taking care of her but he knew it better. This old woman was stronger and more skilled in protecting herself and if necessary others than her looks would have made you believe. Little John had had to discover this the hard way a few days ago. He had been aiming in the forest to get them something to eat, when she had hunted down a rabbit right underneath his nose even though he had claimed it to be too far away to shoot it. It had been funny especially when he had started to argue about it with her and she had simply knocked him out. Maybe she was still able to do such things because she was taking care of her granddaughter? Who could have possibly believed Ruby to be a werewolf? Seeing her like this now it was unimaginable. But even though he hadn't seen her turning into a huge wolf yet he still believed what others (including Ruby herself) had told him.

"I'm afraid it is", Regina entered the room behind him and walked past him without paying any attention to him at all, "I checked the fireplace. I've found nothing about them or about Henry. What ever it was they've been doing there they didn't finish it."

"What makes you believe that", the Blue Fairy asked floating above the table all dressed in blue matching to her name. As far as he had gotten to know her she was kind and knew exactly what she was doing and what she was talking about. But in regards of Regina she always seemed to lose her kindness. Instead she was mean and sarcastic towards her, as far as he was concerned.

But why did he even care?

"I know it", Regina said slowly and mighty as she approached the table, "because there has been nothing they could have taken. I checked Henry's chamber for several times before someone broke into the castle and I didn't notice anything. There was nothing."

"Are you sure", the Blue Fairy asked again and Robin was already guessing something bad to come the way she was asking it.

Regina crossed her arms in front of her chest, "did you notice something? You checked that room as well, didn't you? When Henry disappeared you were there before me because you didn't want to give me the chance to destroy evidence."

"I had my reasons."

"So tell me", Regina surrounded the table until she reached a free chair, "how should it be possible that I destroyed tracks so nobody could find anything?"

"There is still the possibility that you found something you don't want to share with us", the Blue Fairy said icy and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I think we should stop blaming each other and finally start to work together", Jiminy Cricket said through the megaphone placed on the table in front of him like always. The thing seemed three times as big as him.

Regina ignored him, "and why should I want to do that?"

"I don't know. There are several reasons if you ask me. Maybe you just want to protect your mother because she kidnapped him for you? Or you took him yourself and you're trying to make sure we won't find out", the Blue Fairy said slowly and it seemed as she was finally letting everything out she had been swallowing the whole time, "or you just don't want to share your information with us so you can find him and have him for yourself."

"Blue", Cricket said slowly and nervously already feeling what Robin was easily seeing in Regina's face, "we already discussed this. You didn't find any evidence for your accusations."

"But we didn't find any proof against it, too."

"I'm not keeping anything fro myself", Regina said icy now. She had turned pale and something dark had appeared in her eyes. Actually was this the first time he could believe that she indeed was the "Evil Queen".

Robin slowly walked up to them. He wouldn't pick a side and he wouldn't say anything in this matter. He wasn't stupid enough to break his highest rule of never picking a fight with a magical being as in a fairy or the Evil Queen. But still… A part of him felt like he should help Regina after all, while the other half of him was telling him that she didn't need anything like help even though he was sure that her strength and her bad mood were just a mask covering her pain.

When they had found out the ogres had just been an illusion he had met a completely different Regina. She had loved what she was doing and she had enjoyed knowing what she was talking about. He had seen how happy she had been to help without being scolded or distrusted all the time.

"No", the Blue Fairy asked skeptically and more sarcastic than he had ever heard her talk before, "and what about this pirate? Didn't you ask him to check on your mother?"

Regina froze and her face became pale, but she didn't say anything. She stared at the Blue Fairy like she had never seen her before.

"Why didn't you say anything about that", Snow White asked more curious than angry and looked at Regina like everyone else. But he couldn't see any shock in her eyes, nor anger or distrust.

"We don't even know if it's true yet", Cricket tried to help.

"We do", the Blue Fairy stated, "I know it."

"How", Cricket asked curiously and looked at her.

"One of my fairies found out about it."

"But we don't know why yet", Cricket stated through the discussions that had started around the round table. He was still trying hard to believe in Regina and to convince the others to do it as well.

Regina stood up and everyone was silent and stared at her like she had cast a spell on them, "I'm not sure my mother did it. Hook owes me something and is able to sneak into a witch's castle, so I asked him to check on her."

Robin swallowed. He knew that she hadn't just asked him. She had made a deal with him, of which he didn't know all parameters yet.

"Hook", Charming asked surprised and unfavorably, "Captain Hook?"

She ignored him, "it turned out he needs my help as well, so I made a deal with him. He is searching for Henry just like every other person you guys asked for help and you didn't tell me about everyone neither."

"You can't possibly compare a rotten pirate to soldiers", Blue disagreed.

"You didn't tell her about me", Robin pointed out before he had even decided neither to say anything nor to pick a side, "I ran into her and then she found out."

Regina stared at him for a moment just like she hadn't noticed him before at all, which was possible judging the way she had just passed him before. Jut like he had flipped a switch with his thoughts she looked at Snow and Charming again, "I didn't say anything yet because I didn't want my mother to find out about it accidentally."

"Are you saying someone of us could be a spy", Grumpy asked angrily and came to his feet. He was short compared to Charming and him, but there was no doubt he could be quite dangerous.

Regina held up her hands in defense, "all I say is that she had her ears everywhere. Despite that I'm still not certain that she is involved in any of this so don't get your hopes up and definitely don't stop searching everywhere else. We would only lose Henry if I'm wrong and if I'm right she might notice something."

"Why should we believe you this now", Doc asked shyly and looked at her with big eyes.

"Because she is telling the truth", a female voice suddenly answered as a small fairy became visible. She was dressed in pink; her dress was sparkling just as much as Blue's and her brown hair was bound up in a formal hairstyle. She seemed pretty nervous and she avoided looking at Blue, "I know she is telling the truth."

"Nova", Blue said shocked that the fairy wasn't helping her.

"Nova", Grumpy on the other hand just stared at her in surprise and there was something in his eyes that told him, the dwarf had feelings for the fairy.

They exchanged a short glance and Nova's cheeks turned red, "hello, Happy."

"It's Grumpy now", he almost stuttered a little embarrassed.

"How can you be so certain about it, Nova", Cricket asked politely after a moment of silence in which everyone was looking at them and they simply exchanged nervous but interested glances like little kids falling in love for the first time.

Nova swallowed and looked at Cricket, "I've been watching Hook lately and he really is trying to find Prince Henry. He's got help and this help will be kind to the prince. They are taking a big risk by sneaking into the Cora's castle and Regina promised to help them to distract her. But if she'll notice anything before that, there won't be chance they can succeed at all. So Regina is right. Cora mustn't find out about any of this."

Regina stared at the fairy in disbelieve and instead of thanking her she criticized her, "you were spying on me?"

Nova seemed to be scared, "no. I'm spying on Hook."

"Since when do fairies help Pirates", Grumpy asked a little jealous as it seemed.

"I'm not helping him. I'm trying to help everyone he might harass", she explained herself more stubbornly now. There had to be more between those two than he knew. Something complicated maybe?

"And what now", the Blue Fairy asked annoyed and ignored their troublesome relationship while Regina walked up to the door.

The witch let out a breath and turned around to them even though she had already opened the door, which she was holding on to now, "now I'm going to make sure my mother won't kill Hook when he tries to find Henry. Would be bad to lose someone as useful as him before we have him back."

"Does that mean you're going to take on your mother now", Snow asked surprised and for the first time it seemed like she cared for her stepmother ever since Robin had seen both of them together.

Regina shrugged, "who else could do it?"

He didn't know why he said it. He hadn't even thought about it in the first place, but still he did. At first he didn't really understand the meaning of his own words at all. He didn't think that was the only explanation he could come up with. Why else would he offer to risk his life without thinking of his own son and what should happen to him if he wouldn't survive?

No matter what the reason was in the end he couldn't change anymore that he walked up to her saying, "I'll help you."

For sure there was the thought that she didn't need his help and that there couldn't be anything he could do in a fight against a witch at all, especially after seeing her reaction.

Regina raised an eyebrow skeptically and looked him up and down, "how could you possibly help me?"

"You helped me with the fake ogres, I owe you. And you never know what or who she could come up with", he shrugged and walked up to her, "besides that the Blue Fairy won't interfere and trouble you, if I'm with you", he added in a whisper when he was close enough to her so she would hear it.

She frowned and looked up to him, "you can't. You have to think of your son. He needs you more than I."

And that was the moment he didn't care about her past the way he had done it before anymore. It was the moment he stopped believing in all the bad stories about her, but started to trust his own feelings and assessments about her. And it was the moment he understood why he had made this offer and accepted it as right.

She was wearing a mask again to hide what she was actually feeling. She was acting tough and unreachable but in the end she was just scared. She was scared of her own mother and he didn't want to find out why because he already assumed it to be an awful reason. And at the same time she was afraid to find out that it really was her mother being at fault for the kidnapping of the prince.

"We will take care of Roland", Snow White suddenly said from behind him, "you don't need to worry for him." If he wasn't mistaken then the Queen was relived Regina wouldn't go alone.

Regina turned her back on him and left the room, "I don't need your help. You'll only get in my way."

"And still I'm joining you", he said following her after nodding at Snow to thank her.

"This is not a field trip, Hood. She might just kill you", Regina pointed out, "she doesn't like poor men."

"No?"

"Actually she loves to kill them", she said and there was something in her voice that send a chill down his spine. There was more to her words than she actually told him.

"Just good I can protect myself", he said even though he knew it wouldn't be true if he would have to fight a witch, "and I'm not important enough in this to actually be worth to be killed by her."

Regina sighed and held out her hand for him. He frowned and took it not understanding what she was up to now at all. A purple cloud surrounded them as she said, "to be with me will be reason enough for her to kill you."


	7. Dreamy

6\. Dreamy

"Rule number one: if you travel with a witch the way a witch does, keep your mouth shut and hold your breath", she said and walked past him, while he regretted she hadn't remembered him earlier. He had breathed in some of the smoke and now he was coughing as hard as he got tears in his eyes having to push up himself with one hand on his leg. But he hadn't been too caught up in this to overhear the smile in her voice when she said it.

How could he blame her for being amused of his mishap, when he could have prevented it, if he would have just remembered the last time he had done it? Maybe he would never get used to this way of traveling. It was just too fast, too dark and way too smoky.

"What now", he asked as soon as he noticed that they were back in her castle. But unlike the last time he had come here, she hadn't taken him into the small yard with the apple tree but directly into her room.

She didn't answer him but walked up to a mirror hanging on a wall to their right. She looked at it for a long moment just like she was waiting for something, but still she didn't say anything.

"Do you really believe this to be the right moment to check in a mirror", he grinned and tried to light up her mood. It didn't work. She was just too tense. He could see it in her expression, her movements and even in her eyes, while she looked into that mirror.

"Scht."

"Why are you upset", he asked curious. He wanted to know the words of the others had hurt her more than he had expected them to.

She sighed, but didn't turn to look at him, "why did you come with me?"

"I already told you", he answered a little surprised. He hadn't expected this to be the reason. Shouldn't she be glad to have someone to keep her back free?

She let out a breath, "you said you wanted to help me."

"Yes. And it is true."

Regina finally turned around to him, "isn't it more like you want to make sure I won't betray you guys? I'll tell you something: you're not here because you want to help me, but because you want to control me. And you know what? I don't need that. You're wasting your time with this."

He noticed the hurt expression she was looking at her with and understood that she was sick of everyone coming back at her for her past. However, it didn't change anything. She had done what she had done and she had to live with it and its consequences. She couldn't possibly blame anybody for not just forgetting about it.

Blue and her harsh words came back into his mind. But maybe they had never stopped to remember it. Maybe they kept reminding her all the time and never even believed it to be possible that she really had changed.

He wanted to tell her that he really wasn't here to control but to protect and help her as far as it would be possible for him, when there was something moving in the mirror behind her. He frowned and stared at it, wondering what could be in there or if he had just imagined it.

Regina noticed his reaction and turned around to it again, "so?"

"Nothing, my Queen", the mirror answered and he couldn't do anything but stare at her back curious of who she was talking with now. But he couldn't see anything since she was covering up the mirror perfectly.

"Where is he?"

He wanted to ask her if she always used mirrors to have conversations like others used letters, but he stopped himself already knowing that she wouldn't like it and that it would only worsen their relationship.

The mirror answered her, "he is back on board the Jolly Roger now, but I can't see him. The ship's magic is protecting him again."

Regina sighed in disappointment, "as soon as he takes it you call me."

"As you wish."

He stepped closer to her and noticed a man's face in the mirror before it vanished again. He was still starring at it, when she turned to look at him. Who the hell was he? And why was he in the mirror? Unlike Hook the other day this man definitely seemed to be part of it. There had been no background, no sounds besides his words and the way he had vanished again had been totally different as well. It had been more magical somehow, than it had been with Hook.

Robin met Regina's gaze and noticed her worried expression before she covered it up and was the unreachable queen again. But he knew that the person he had just caught a glimpse of was hiding just under the surface of this mask. He decided not to ask any of his questions and turned on his heels to see the rest of the room.

It was a tower chamber. Everything seemed to be colored in black but there was no light at all so he couldn't be certain about it. Regina hadn't changed anything about the furniture since their last very short visit here, when they had discovered that someone was playing with them using a spell that created ogres.

There was still the dressing table with all those little flasks and vials and the strange ingredients she used for her spells. Then there was this mirror besides an open hall to who knew where. Right beside it was a golden door that looked noble but showy and possibly belonged to a wardrobe.

"What now", he asked surprised that they hadn't just went straightly to her mother's place, since he had expected her to already have made a plan with Hook even before he had broken into Snow White's castle.

Regina walked up to the dressing table passing a red chaise lounge and started to search through those strange bottles, "we can't just show up there. We need to coordinate with Hook or it'll be pointless to distract her at all.

"What's with that mirror", he finally asked now that he knew in what kind of mood she was in.

Regina looked over her shoulder for a second before she continued to search through her belongings while saying very slowly, "he's an old friend of mine?"

Robin frowned, "did you do that to him?" If it was true than he didn't want to find out what she was willing to do to her enemies. Well, after everything the dwarfs, Ruby and Granny had told him, he might already have a clue, but up to now he had always questioned it.

"I didn't", she stated after a moment of silence without stopping to continue her search and sounding uninterested, "he did it himself by wishing to be always with me. Neither of us had thought he'd turn into a reflection, but he was around me ever since."

"But how is it possible if you didn't do this", he asked and stepped closer to her. He already had another question in mind, one that was more important than this once, but he needed to know it.

Regina finally stopped and turned to look at him, "he was an imprisoned genie until my dead husband freed him. And before you ask: no, I didn't try to free him. He's quite useful for me and maybe the only company I have in here."

Her explanation sounded good, but he wasn't stupid enough to be fooled by her, "and why did he wish to be around you forever?"

She suddenly concentrated on her work more than ever before. She double checked vials and opened bottles to smell at them instead of simply reading what she had written on them.

"Regina?"

She looked up to him in surprise. She stared at him for a moment and then she sighed, "I manipulated him into it." As she noticed his expression she continued, "yes, I was the Evil Queen. So every story you've heard could be more than true. And you know what? I'll never pretend I didn't do anything wrong. I'll never pretend to be a sheep dressed as a wolf. I stay to my sins."

They stared at each other for a long moment before he gave up and decided to change the direction of their conversation again, if they really wanted to work together against her mother anytime soon. He didn't need to appreciate anything of her past nor how she handled what had followed her from it. His highest goal was to find the missing prince, nothing more and nothing less. But he had to admit, that it troubled him a lot, "what are you doing there?"

"I'm searching for the ingredients I'll need to get my mother here", she answered after a second of inspecting him and his mood. She obviously understood his decision or at least she didn't continue their previous discussion anyway.

"Why do you want that? Why won't we go to her", he asked surprised since it would be much faster than to bring her here.

Regina took some small bottles and placed them together so she would easily find them later on before she turned to look at him, "because it would be a mistake. When I became the queen I send her away to another land so I would finally be free from her. She ruled that place. She turned bushes into a labyrinth that would "eat" you alive if you'd get too close to its walls and cursed the whole place so you wouldn't die if she'd cut off your head. Do you really think I would want to fight her on her terrain?

"That sounds awful."

"Just figured you should know who we are up against."

"And what did she do to you?"

Before she could answer the mirror called for her and she walked up to it to talk with Hook who appeared in it replacing the genie's face. He didn't have good news. Robin wasn't sure for who of both it was worse, for Hook who had to break into Cora's castle or for Regina, who had to accept that her own mother was harming the boy she loved like her own son and that she had to face her now in order to get him back?

Robin waited until they had agreed on a plan, until they had stopped to argue and criticize each other. He waited until the mirror just showed her reflection again, since the genie didn't show up once more, even though he disliked what he noticed about her.

During their conversation it seemed like Regina completely vanished. The woman he had watched for several days now vanished to a place where he couldn't find her anymore. The woman being excited about her abilities and being invested into something good, because she actually wanted to help was gone. Instead of her there was suddenly standing an entirely different person. Where was the woman who had put his son first instead of herself, when it had been about him helping her against her own mother or not?

Now she was cold and somehow dark. She had vanished into something like a creature without any feelings or conscience. She appeared to be like a machine that just worked, but didn't feel or think. And her thoughts on the other hand, which he could imagine because of the ideas she mentioned while talking with the pirate about her own mother and how to deal with her, were as darkly that he couldn't even imagine she was still the same person as the woman he had decided to help.

Robin walked up to her slowly. It was like his feet had developed a life of their own and almost automatically brought him closer to her. He didn't want to see her like this. He had to do something so she would finally allow herself to have feelings again.

The mirror was dark, but she was still standing right in front of it, so he couldn't see her face and her expression. That changed when he finally reached her. She looked like she was despairing and he was surprised that he hadn't looked right through her façade. So in the end he had been fooled like everyone else, hadn't he? He should have noticed her troubles even without seeing her face.

But he couldn't understand why, if he thought about it more carefully. Why of all people should he have noticed it? Because deep down his soul he had always believed to know her better than anybody else, because he had felt connected to her somehow.

He stopped thinking about it but reached for her shoulder to gently place his hand on it to support her. Regina winced before she snapped out of her dark thoughts and met his eyes in surprise. It was just like she had completely forgotten that he was even still there with her and had been reminded by him now.

Robin wanted to ask her if she was alright but decided it would be an awfully stupid question. He could promise her that it would get better or tell her that all things just could be a misunderstanding but he knew it wouldn't help her. It would just be empty promises. He couldn't hug her because they didn't know each other good enough and they weren't close enough to not make it strange. He didn't know what to do, because he had never been in that situation himself before what he was glad for.

He decided that there couldn't be any words that would support her and that he'd just have to listen to her. Something at this place told him that there hadn't been many people to really listen to her even though she had needed it definitely.

Before he could offer to listen to her if she needed someone to talk to, she already started to talk just like she had read his thoughts, "we need to think of a way to distract her."

Robin stared at her for a moment unable to believe how easily she got back to business, "what? Don't you want to talk about your problems first?"

She looked at him for a short moment in which he already expected her to say something like "and why would I tell someone like you", before she finally said, "no." She stepped back from him and walked up to the golden doors he had noticed before, "we can't waste time. Hook will arrive in around two days from today and we need to be there then."

"But-"

Regina finally turned to look at him. Even though she was wearing a mask of coolness, disinterest and insensitivity, he could see sorrow in her eyes. She cut him off, "there is no "but". We have a plan and we will stick to it."

He frowned and walked up to her, "but she is your mother."

She shrugged, "which is why I won't kill her."

Robin stared at her. He couldn't believe that she had just said that. But on the other hand her mother was Cora, wasn't she? Who knew what she had done to her own daughter that Regina was talking like this now?

He looked at her more closely. She was hurt; she didn't want to talk like this herself. She was like a hurt animal attacking to all sides to protect herself not noticing the helping hand, she was offered.

"What did she do to you?"

Regina stared at him in surprise and her mask vanished completely for a moment. There was just woman that wasn't just hurt but scared. A soft woman who might even be sensitive for others, who cared not just for her own wishes but for everyone else's as well. As she noticed his expression to seeing her like this, she turned back to the doors and looked down at her hands on the doorknobs, letting out a deep breath, "what makes you believe that she did something?"

"Why else would you want to kill your own mother", he asked and shrugged, "not to mention that you're obviously hurt."

He voice was strict again, "I just said, I wouldn't kill her."

"But you considered it to be an option or you wouldn't have needed to make such a decision and that's already bad enough. Otherwise you didn't deny that you're hurt", he stopped right behind her and resisted the urge to place his hands on her shoulders to support her, "so I must be right, right?"

Regina sighed and it took a moment for her to answer him, "you don't want to hear that."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because nobody does", she said a little too simple and plain for his taste.

"Well, I do", Robin confirmed, "so why don't you tell me? We've got two days left, you should talk about it, I need to hear it or we can't work together and most importantly: I'm just too curious about it."

She turned around and stared at him for a moment before she actually grinned, "fine then. But remember that you wanted to know."

He places his right hand theoretically on his left chest right above his heart and stood a little straighter, "I swear."

Now she was smiling. Good. He wanted to see her more often like that.

He had no idea for how long he already was here, but it felt like months. He never got see anything but darkness. His eyes had gotten used to it as badly as he was already able to easily recognize the walls of his prison around him. He hadn't heard anything just as long as he hadn't seen any light at all and he was certain that he'd be deaf as soon as he would hear the sound of a singing bird. And without the light, there was no warmth in this room, so most of his time here, he spent wrapped up in his thin blanket on his thin mattress on the cold and wet floor.

He missed his mother and his father, but unlike the last time he hadn't spent at home, there was no Regina being there for him. He was all alone and by now he wasn't even certain anymore that he could still use his voice at all. All he had left was his memories of being with his parents, learning dancing and shooting an arrow with his mother and taking care of their horses and practicing using a sword playing around with one made of wood with his father. Eating and laughing with them, listening to his mother's voice while reading out a book to him or singing with him, fighting playfully around with his father in their bed, when he would show up in the morning to wake them, even though they were still too tired to even open their eyes.

And he remembered his time Regina.

She was one of his best friends. She was part of their family. She was the youngest and greatest grandmother you could have especially since she was getting along with his parents. At least they didn't fight each other anymore.

He could remember spending some of his time with her like it had been just yesterday. They had been sitting in the yard with her apple tree and each time he had tried to pick up one of them that had fallen to the ground, she had let it float so he couldn't reach it, even though he hunted it through the whole yard, laughing like he was insane until he fell into her arms and she turned the apples into bubbles in different colors floating around them.

He could remember her reading books out to him and telling him fairytales about his mother and even though it had been obvious she didn't like her back then, she had never said anything bad about her nor had she told him, why they had been fighting each other all the time.

And no matter what he had asked her for, she had read his whishes from his eyes without hesitation, when he had behaved and obeyed to the rules at her place that included never to enter the yard with that apple tree without her or to sneak into the strange wardrobe with the golden doors in her room.

He missed her but he missed his parents even more. He missed the supporting and tender hug of his mother, when he had a nightmare and woke in a fright in the middle of the night, bathed in sweat, his face wet from his tears. He could have needed this for several times now.

And he missed the supporting and tender words of his father, if he was afraid of something. His father had always been brave. He had been the hero of his life just like he was the hero of his dreams now, while his mother had been his hope.

He just couldn't stop to believe that they would safe him together with Regina. They would show up here, they would take him home and they would be there for him again just like in the past. He could feel it with all of his heart, but his hope… He had to admit that there were times, when he'd wake up and wonder if they'd ever show up again, if they even cared for him anymore. He had doubts, but he had to believe in them.

And each time he felt like that, each time he had to encourage himself somehow, he remembered a dream he dreamed sometimes.

Then he would see a woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She looked out to the sea, watched the waves and the sunlight playing around on it. Even though she was standing with her back to him for a long moment he already stopped feeling lonely and when she finally turned to look at him, he felt loved. He felt warm and loved.

And somehow he just knew she was looking for him just like everyone else in his family, just like he felt his connection to her.

He remembered what his parents had told him about his sister just like it had been yesterday they had mentioned her at all.

They had entered his room. Mom had been first, holding a huge teddy bear in her arms, while Daddy had closed the door behind her back again. They had walked up to his bed to sit to both sides of him, while the teddy had been lying to his feet, where mom had placed it as she sat down. Each of them had taken one of his hands, before they had exchanged a short glimpse like they were agreeing on telling him the whole story.

Dad had started, "Henry, we need to tell you something."

"It's about the room in the turret", Mom had added, "you've been asking so much about it and now that you're finally back home…"

"You're old enough to know about it now", Daddy had continued to tell him as his mother suddenly stopped talking.

"We know it might be hard for you", Mom had said slowly, "but we believe you deserve to know about it. She deserves it that you know about her."

He had looked from one to the other more curious about what they would tell him than ever. He had had tried to enter that strange room at the end of the hall for several years now and he had had never been allowed to do it. He had wanted to know about it so badly that he had barely been able to wait for them to continue their story like a fairytale.

If he was honest then the whole story had been just that for him for a long time, until he had started to dream of her several nights ago. And even though he had never seen her before he just knew she was his sister. He could feel their connection. It was a like strong rope that was reaching through his dreams.

His parents told him how she had vanished after her birth almost seventeen years before his birth. But time was meaningless, since it had stopped for everyone but him and if he wasn't mistaken it hadn't stopped for his sister as well.

They had told him, that Emma had been with them for two nights before the curse it. She had been lively, had laughed all the time and everyone who had met her green eyes had loved her immediately.

But then one night, there had been a thunderstorm. Daddy had had to help the people in the town to extinguish a fire, caused by a lightning that had crashed into a stable. They had saved most of the horses inside and everyone, even his mother, had helped to get enough water.

Emma had been alone in the castle except for her foster-mother, an old woman who had been knocked out by the person, who had taken advantage of their troublesome situation at the stables, to sneak into their home and steal her, without leaving any trace at all.

They had told him, how badly they had tried to find Emma, while Regina had tried to fight them. Even though he hadn't wanted to hear that, he had believed them not to use this as a tool against her, but to tell him about it as a simple fact of their past.

They had told her, that Emma was the savior, that she was supposed to break the curse, of which's extent nobody had known anything back then yet. Nobody had noticed that they had been frozen in time at all back then.

Henry sighed and cuddled into the mattress and his blanket to keep himself warm. He closed his eyes and as he did, he saw his mother in a room he had never entered before. And yet he knew it was part of his home, of their castle.

The room was filled with light as much as it appeared to be golden. There was a door to a balcony through that floated a warm breeze of air. Right in the middle of the room stood a baby crib underneath a mobile with blue unicorns dancing in the breeze.

The crib was surrounded by two puppets looking like a knight and man from the navy. He could even find the teddy bear his mother had taken into his room, when they had come to tell him about his sister.

The only strange thing about this room was a wardrobe that was looking like a tree trunk and that seemed to fill up all of the space left in the room. He perfectly knew what this was. It was the portal tree Pinocchio's dad had made so Emma would be able to escape Regina's curse, just as his parents had told him.

In the middle of the room was standing his mother. She was dressed in a white dress and her long black hair was reaching to her waist and far into her back. He didn't need to see that, to know it was true. Her green eyes were warm and filled with love, just like he had seen them his whole life. She was just looking like what Regina had told him about her and their past. She was looking like Regina had described her lying in her coffin of glass.

She opened her arms for him and walked up to him, like she wanted to hug him tenderly. And as she came closer her eyes seemed to fill his whole range of vision.

She pulled him into her hug and even though he knew it was just a dream, he would have sworn that he could smell her perfume and feel the warmth of her body.

He cuddled into her hug like he cuddled into his blanket and as he opened his eyes, he saw his dad standing behind her, smiling happily at them, his eyes filled with love. He was leaning over the baby crib, but didn't look inside or he would have noticed that Emma wasn't there.

Right beside him was Regina leaning at the strange wardrobe and watching them. Even though he was certain, she wasn't upset with them, there was something in her eyes that gave him the feeling she was thinking to be out of place here in this situation with his parents. He could see loneliness in her eyes even though she wasn't alone, because they were all together now.

On the other side of the wardrobe was standing a man, he hadn't ever seen before with a little boy clinging to his leg. He didn't look at him, but only at Regina. He knew it, even though he couldn't see neither of their faces, not the man's nor the one of the boy at his leg.

A shadow fell to the boy's feet and caught his attention. He knew who it belonged to, even before he looked up to the balcony. He had seen it often enough to know it. But despite that he could feel it. It was like a wave of love was swapping inside the room touching everyone inside it. It was Emma.

She was standing in the opened door to the balcony, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was wearing trousers and a white shirt just like in his other dream of her at the ocean. Her blond hair was floating softly in the breeze coming through the opened door and she smiled at them. For some strange reason she was holding a hook in her left hand and kept playing around with it.

But he didn't care about it, just like he didn't care about the man and the boy, even though he was glad that they seemed to care about Regina like his father and him cared for his mother.

Everyone he loved was crowded around him in this room and he knew where they were, there were more people he cared about just close to them. His mother's and his father's friends were always there.

There were Ruby and her grandmother, Grumpy and the other six dwarfs, Lancelot, Pinocchio and his father, Jiminy Cricket, who had always tried to teach him about ethics and morals and the Blue Fairy, who had helped to bring his parents together long before he had been born.

No, he wasn't alone. And he would never be, since he knew that all of those people were searching for him. He knew that all of them were worrying about him and that all of them cared for him, which was everything he needed to know in this cold and dark prison.

As long as he would be able to believe in them and their love for him, he would be able to hope and he would be able to be brave and to love them. He would be able to believe in them.

* * *

Emma crept into her bad. She was upset. As soon as she had come back changed into her own cloths and more than happy about it, Hook had revealed to her, that he hadn't told Regina anything of what he should have told her. She had been as upset about it, as she had spent a while on deck to take a deep breath even though it had already been dark.

Would this night never end? How could a single night be that long?

She was exhausted and she was glad and thankful that Hook just left her be without asking any questions or demanding answers for her strange behavior at the castle again.

She could just close her eyes and fall asleep. But something was keeping her up. She was worried for the decision Hook had made. She was worried for the boy who might have to suffer through it, because they wouldn't find him fast enough. And somehow she knew that she wanted to find him very badly.

At first it had just been about helping Hook so he would be able to work with her faster, but ever since she had been in that castle, things had changed. She had met Snow White and she had seen her longing and sorrowful glance as she had looked at both of her children's rooms that had been empty.

She had always wondered what home would be like. She had always thought it would be place she'd miss more than anything as soon as she'd leave it, but seeing the sorrow in Snow White's eyes up in that turret and that strange old and dirty nursery that had been filled with things and toys so carefully, she had understood what home really was about. It was about the people being with you, caring for you, feeling for and with you, laughing and crying with you.

And she realized that she had already had that, when she had been with Graham. He had been that person for her in the past, but she hadn't protected her home good enough, hadn't opened up to him enough to let him now how important he was to her and so she had become the orphan again, without even noticing that there had been any change at all.

She heard Hook moving in the darkness. He was sleeping and she was just glad that he wasn't one of those men, who snorted like they wanted to cut down an entire wood.

This place would never be anything close to a home for her, because she couldn't trust anyone. Sure the Jolly Roger was nice and somehow she felt connected to her, but the men traveling around on her, the men filling the ship with life weren't anything close to friends and even less to a family.

She couldn't trust them. And even though she had to admit that she trusted Base the less of all of them, she had to admit that it was even worse with Hook. She couldn't understand why she trusted him even less than a pirate who would love to kill her if his captain's orders wouldn't hold him back, but it was an undeniable fact.

Emma sighed and closed her eyes, before she turned to her left. She needed to sleep as much time as she had left of the night, or she just wouldn't survive the next day.

* * *

He waited in front of the room, his arms crossed behind his back, leaning at the wall right beside the door and looking down at his boots while he kicked the ground with the tip of his left foot. His friends passed him leaving the room one after another. They talked about Regina and the strange burglars, while they wondered where the prince was now. Was he fine? Would they find him anytime soon? How could they help their friends, who needed them now just as badly as they had needed them twenty-seven years ago? Why did they need to live through something like this again now?

But he couldn't care for all those thoughts and worries at the moment. He was nervous. The part of him, he had locked up all those years ago, was trying to break back through to the surface again. It felt like the old him, which he had thought to have lost, was peeking at him and his life and wanted to be part of it once more. However, he didn't want this. There was a reason he had locked it away. This part of his personality was just too weak and naïve and it couldn't stand pain. When it had vanished, it had lost all hope and love and he didn't want to risk living through that for another time.

And still he was staying there, waiting for her even though he didn't even know if she'd come through that door at all. It was ridiculous, but he couldn't stop himself. He needed this like he needed air to breathe. His heart needed it, even though he was scared like hell that it could break again.

"You shouldn't have said that", the Blue Fairy suddenly said to his left. She seemed to be upset and he couldn't blame her for it. Things hadn't worked out the way she had wished them to. It was an open secret that she disliked Regina more than everyone else and she definitely didn't trust her. He couldn't blame her for it. After everything that had happened to them because of the witch it was just natural to dislike and distrust her. And still it was a little strange for a fairy to react to it like she did.

"I'm sorry, Blue, but I was honest and you always told us to be honest", she defended herself and followed the Blue Fairy outside. As he heard her voice his heartbeat sped up and he was both happy, that she left the room this way and not through an opened window and scared, because he didn't know what to say. He was nervous. What could you tell someone you left behind because a friend of hers had told you to?

The Blue Fairy sighed, "it's alright. Can you keep an eye on Snow and Charming? I want to check on the other fairies and the calls of people in need."

"Of course", Nova said and stopped in the doorway. She was small just as a fairy. He had never seen her like this before. The last time they had seen each other she had transformed into human size so they could hold hands, chat on equal height and kiss. Hell, he missed those kisses. But he had screwed up in the past. When this woman had convinced him to run after her, it had already been too late. She had never shown up at their mine again and there hadn't been any trace ever since. Thanks to King George he had lost a lot of time in this stupid prison, where he had met Snow.

The Blue Fairy disappeared and Nova, who was still standing in the doorway right beside him, sighed heavily. She hadn't noticed him yet and he was still playing with the thought to just walk away instead of facing her and their past. He had been wrong. He regretted it more than anybody else ever could. He had listened to the Blue Fairy, he had believed she was right, since she was a fairy either and had to know the nature and the needs of a fairy better than him. He had given up on their dreams of sailing away and being happy together. He had given up on her.

He let out a breath as he couldn't find the right words and finally caught her attention. Even though he was still starring at his feet, he noticed that her face turned pale out of the corner of his eye. She looked at her fingers, opened her mouth and closed it again, without saying anything. She seemed to be shy and maybe she was even as nervous as him.

It was encouraging.

"How are you, Nova", he finally asked and felt incredibly stupid. "How are you"? That was everything he could come up with now after all those years? Bloody hell, he had tried to find her and to get her back and now that he finally had an opportunity to at least find out if things could be the same they had been between them all those years ago, all he said was "how are you"?

He should apologize for his stupidity, he should tell her that he still loved her more than anything and that he would give up everything for her, if she just wanted him to. He should tell her, that he had tried to find her, to get her back, but that he never had the chance to, because he couldn't find her anymore.

"Fine", she said silently and stopped knitting her hands nervously, "and you, Dreamy?"

He couldn't help but smile. To hear this name out of her mouth was like a gently touch on his heart. It warmed him from the inside.

Nova looked at him in surprise, "what's funny?"

He shook his head, "it's just…you're the only one who still calls me that name."

She frowned and turned to look at him, "why that?"

"My name is Grumpy now", he explained slowly, "the name on my axe changed several years ago."

"Grumpy", she asked skeptically, "but that…" She stopped before she finished her sentence and looked at him like she had just realized something. He had no idea what it was, but he definitely wanted to know what she had been about to say.

"What", he asked softly and watched her carefully. He watched the small movement of her mouth, as she swallowed hard and the nervous glance in her eyes. She looked like a lovely but frightened deer. She was so beautiful. She hadn't changed at all.

"It's not for me to say something like that", she stepped back and shook her head without looking at him, what reminded him even more of a deer.

He pushed himself up from the wall, but stopped himself before he could walk up to her and grab her shoulders to support her. It wasn't for him to do something like that anymore. He had played this privilege when he had left her all those years ago.

So he just looked at her intensively, "but I want to know it."

Nova looked at him nervously and licked her bottom lip, before she opened her mouth and took a deep breath.

"You can tell me everything", he added in a very silent voice to encourage her.

She swallowed hard and focused on a spot right above his left shoulder, "I just thought your new name doesn't really match, you know? You were always…so full of… hope and you were always happy. "Grumpy"…that's so…different."

"I know", he said shyly now and looked at his hands. He was ashamed of himself, because it had come to this, "I'm sorry."

"What", she stared at him in confusion, "but what for?"

"I'm ashamed for…I've changed so much."

She shook her head without stopping to look at him, "but you don't need to be ashamed. It's who you are and nobody needs to be ashamed for who he is, Dre-Grumpy. It's fine as long as you can live with it. And you love your life, don't you?"

How was it possible that she always found the right words to support him? He had already forgotten about that. His heart felt like it was glowing and he was so happy, he had met her again. He wanted to hug her, to kiss her, but he didn't know how after all that mess he had caused. He couldn't even tell her, that he had missed her.

"Are you happy?"

She seemed to be surprised to hear that question. Nova stared at him for a long moment, before she finally found her voice and answered him, "I think I am. I'm doing what I always wanted to. I'm helping people to find their happy ending. It's not always easy and some of them really are a peace of work, but it's fulfilling. I'm blessed to be able to do it."

"So you do love what you do", he asked and almost winced as he heard the l-word coming out of his mouth. She didn't show any reaction to it.

"Yes", she said without hesitation and smiled openly at him, "yes I do love it."

"And are you happy", he asked again, pronouncing the pronoun this time. Loving what she was doing wasn't anything close to being happy herself. Of course it would cause happiness for her, but it would only be momentarily and not forever.

Nova frowned as she thought about his question for a long moment. It seemed she couldn't find an answer. Maybe she hadn't even ever thought about it before. She met his eyes again and blushed a little, "I was once."

"And-and what about…about now", he stuttered nervously and curious.

"I don't know", she said as silently as he could barely hear it, "and you?"

He couldn't help but feel like they weren't talking about happiness anymore. It felt like they were talking about relationships. He felt like his pure question, he had asked to make small-talk with her, had turned into a question about her having someone new, someone else she cared for, someone she could love, like she had loved him. But he didn't have a problem with this twist, since she seemed to be just as curious about him.

"I'm happy", he said, "right now, I'm as happy as I haven't been for a long time."

Nova smiled and blushed even more than before. She looked down at her hands, before she looked up to him. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, which he felt would be very important to him, Snow White and Charming stepped into the hall and disturbed them.

"Thank you, Nova", Snow White said as she noticed them, "it's good to know who Regina asked for help, but it's also good to know that you keep an eye on that person."

"Don't worry", Nova said honestly, "I'll do my best to keep an eye on them."

Charming frowned, "them?"

She became nervous once more, "yes. Hook and the woman who helps him."

In Snow's eyes flashed interest as she heard those words, "a woman? Could she be this Emma I met upstairs before? Hook and her broke in here didn't they?"

Nova nodded slowly, "they didn't come to steal from you. They just wanted to make sure they wouldn't risk their lives for nothing by checking on you-know-who."

"I see", Snow White said slowly and when she finally noticed Grumpy there was astonishment in her eyes, "Grumpy, did you forget something? Why aren't you with the-"

She suddenly stopped talking and looked from him to Nova, before she pulled at Charming's sleeve and stepped back without turning away from them, "well, thank you for your help, both of you. See you later."

"What", Charming asked confused of her sudden change of mind and stumbled after her. When he met her eyes, he finally understood, "oh, yes…thank you."

Grumpy looked to his left, taking a deep breath. This was embarrassing.

"Well", Nova suddenly said and caught his attention again, "I have to go now. I need to check on Emma and Hook."

Grumpy frowned, "why that?"

She almost chuckled. He had missed that sound as much as he clung to her lips so he wouldn't miss even the smallest sound of it.

"Oh Dreamy, it's what I do."

His heartbeat sped up as she used his old name, because she was just too used to it, "say….this Emma…do I know her?"

Nova became nervous. She stepped back and she didn't look into his eyes again, "I don't know."

This was strange. The last time he had seen her like this, she had been lying to Blue about their meetings in the night. He knew that reaction, but he couldn't understand the connection to this woman.

"Who is she", he asked without blame in his voice, but he couldn't deny that he was more than curious now, "Emma….how old is she?"

"Old", she said and stepped back further, "I really need to go now. It was nice to see again."

His curiousness vanished into fear. He didn't want to already lose her again. He stepped forward and felt lost as he asked, "when will I see you again?"

Nova stopped and looked at him in surprise. Her nervousness and her sudden rush had disappeared into nothing, "I-I don't know."

Then she shrunk before she disappeared into nothing.

He was all alone again. She was gone and even though he was still enjoying the aftermath of their meeting, he already knew that he would suffer again as soon as it would be over. He had let her go. He had let her go a second time. And he didn't even know if he'd see her again or when.

At least they were both trying to help Snow White so he could hope she'd come here again. Blue had asked her to keep an eye on Snow and Charming after all. And in the meantime he could think about both, what he wanted to say to her and how he could find out more about this Emma, she was taking care of. He had a strange feeling about this woman. How couldn't he? A woman teaming up with a pirate couldn't be good for anything. What if Nova was invested herself too much into a wench who wasn't even worth her efforts and would only cause her pain?

* * *

There she was. She was wearing a white dress that softly played around her legs as she slowly walked up to her. Her long black hair reached her back and her waist in black and soft waves, while her red mouth twitched up in a warm smile directed at her. As she walked through the room she seemed to be floating passing the baby crib and the small puppets to both sides of it. The door to the balcony was opened and warm sunlight reached into the room. A soft breeze blew inside and set the mobile with the small blue unicorns into motion so it seemed like they were prancing through the air. The room was as light as it seemed to be dipped in gold.

Snow White came closer, her hair softly swaying in her movements while the soft breeze moved single hairs of it. Her dress didn't make even a single sound, as she came closer. Her smile grew wider. It was a warm smile just like her green eyes was warm and her gaze was tender. The closer she came the bigger became her eyes. The green pools of hope soon were everything to be seen.

Then they turned cold. They seemed to be icy, without life. Their shape changed. The eyes became bigger and less feminine. The black brows above them turned brown and the eyelashes shrank back. The eyes weren't shining anymore. Wrinkles appeared around them where they hadn't been before. The skin around the eyes changed. Suddenly it was less soft and white, but seemed to be more burned by the sun. Short dark hair reached into the forehead above the eyebrows that didn't look as plucked as before anymore.

The nose was bigger and right underneath it there was a brown beard surrounding thin lips and reaching a strong manly chin and ears that could barely be seen underneath the brown hair that reached above them. Even though the skin was burned by the sun, the face seemed to be pale just like the eye-color turned from green to brown. The brown eyes were suddenly cold and live less.

Graham's dead face stared up to her surrounded by her arms he was lying in. He was gone; there was nothing lively at him anymore. There was coldness, but the most freaking fact was the missing of any emotion in his features. He looked like he was frozen but there was nothing that could melt him ever again.

His mouth was still open. His last words lost in nothingness forever.

The beard around his lips turned black and grew back into his face until there were just stubbles left. His mouth twitched into a knowing smirk and came slowly closer. The skin around it changed until it was lighter than before and not as filled with wrinkles anymore. The shape of the chin changed just like the one of the nose. It became more straight and its back lead to dark eyebrows and a straight forehead. Black short hair was softly reaching into it.

Right underneath those eyebrows were ocean blue eyes staring at her like they wanted to burn her. They looked hungry and she could just too easily imagine for what.

The amusement she had noticed at his mouth reached his eyes. The black collar of his leather cloak reached his chin as he placed both of his hands to both sides of her armchair. His intense glance focused on her lips as he leaned into her like a cat creeping up on her.

She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips that send a chill down her spine and warmed her until she felt electrified. She couldn't move, she couldn't turn away and the worst was she didn't even want to.

His focused changed as he watched his hook reaching up to her shirt, slipping underneath it and shoving it off her right shoulder. He smiled as he seemingly reached for her lips, to kiss her, but simply caressed her cheek with his beard as he barely avoided her face and reached for her right collarbone, kissing his way up to her neck.

His right hand reached up to the left side of her neck to keep her in place while he sucked at her skin like he couldn't bear his lust for her. His breath sped up and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his lips and his beard in addition to his tongue and his hand. She couldn't get enough of this. She languished for more like a thirsty traveler longing for water in a desert. She was longing for his touch, his breath against her skin, the sensation of his lips and his tender but longing touch. She wanted to feel the leather of his coat underneath her fingers, when she would take it off for him, wanted to feel the fabric of his shirt and his vest vanish underneath her hands as she would rip it apart, so she would be able to feel his body melt underneath her touch, just like she was melting.

The cold steel of his hook warmed up by the warmth of her body and reached for her left hand. It became softer and closed around her wrist. His beard stopped scratching her neck and as he pulled back from her, there was nothing she could see. She couldn't stand it. She wanted more of those sensations. She needed more.

Instead she felt the fabric of a rope in her left hand as her right was pulled up above her head. A warm hand was holding on to her wrist and as she looked up to Hook who was holding on to her. She looked up to him through a hatch and the chair, that had supported her before, was gone.

His hair turned brown and reached far into his forehead. His skin became darker until it looked burned by the sun more than before and wrinkles appeared all over his face from laughing and frowning. His beard drew back into his face as his chin changed its shape. There was something bitter around his mouth as his still of lust glowing blue eyes suddenly lost their intensity and became brown. The dark brows above it turned brown as well and there was something sorrowful in the stare directed at her now. There was pity in the expression of the man above her, as he suddenly let go of her wrist, the rope in her left hand vanished and she fell.

He had let her down. She fell without any hope, without any help to be saved. She fell without any safety net and she knew a part of her would never recover from this. He had betrayed her and now she had to fall into the opened arms of her enemies all alone.

She fell deeper until the tips of the knight's spears were reaching for her skin. The first one stabbed into her left shoulder, but it didn't hurt. It turned soft and warm and melted, until it could easily wrap around her shoulder. Even though its fabric was soft, its grip on her was heart, as it shook her deciding.

There was a sound. Voices of men yelling for her death, until they turned into a single one. A man's voice repeating her last name over and over again, until the sudden darkness around her vanished and she met ocean blue eyes.

Emma drew back and almost fell out of her bunk as suddenly as Hook winced back and stared down on her. As she rubbed the back of her head where she had accidentally hit the frame of her bed, he chuckled, leaned down to her and held out his hand to help her back up.

She stared at the offered hand in confusion and avoided it, standing up on her own. It was still night. The captain's quarter was dark even though there was mesmerizing light of the moon and the stars reaching inside through the windows to her left. In front of her she could recognize the shape of the hammock moving slightly according to the swaying of the ship on the waves outside.

"Are you okay", Hook asked almost worried from beside her. She couldn't see his face since he was standing with his back to the windows and his face was lying in his own shadow in addition to the darkness of the night. She was glad for it.

"Yes", she answered absentmindedly with in an almost weak voice, since she was still too caught up in the dream she had just woken up from. To see his eyes as the first thing after waking up had been worse than anything. She would have preferred Smee's eyes or even the ones of Base, even though they didn't like each other and seeing his eyes first after waking up would have meant she was about to die. No, Hook's eyes had frightened her. Her dream was frightening her.

"Are you sure", he asked concerned and stepped closer, but when he noticed that she stepped back like he was propelling her into a corner, he stopped. She could feel his stare as he waited for her answer.

"I'm fine."

"Sure you are", he said angrily since she obviously didn't tell him the truth at all, "what's wrong?"

Emma sighed as her eyes got used to the darkness around her and her pulse normalized again. She took a look around searching for a distraction and noticed the empty hammock once again, "why aren't you sleeping?"

He snorted, "is that a bad joke?"

Now her confusion overlapped her self-criticism about choosing such a bad subject to change his attention, "what?"

"Swan, you screamed like hell broke over you", he explained and closed his right hand to a fist just like he didn't know what else to do with it, "I thought someone was trying to kill you."

"Oh."

"Is that all", he asked disappointed. He wanted to know what she had been dreaming about, she could hear it in his voice.

Nevertheless she didn't want to tell him. She was way too vulnerable right now and she didn't want to stutter something that would lead to her past or to the part of her dream where she was making out the very pirate captain in front of her. She couldn't even decide what would be worse to let him know.

"Why don't you get back to sleep", she asked and looked at the door, "and I'll make certain the crew does as well?"

She looked at the door, wanting nothing more but to leave this room and this man behind. She didn't want to feel his glance directed on her, his ocean blue eyes, remembering he how they had been longing for her in heat and passion in her dream.

"You're not going to tell me, what this was about, will you", he suddenly asked right into her left ear, his breath brushing over her skin. She winced back. She hadn't even noticed that he had come closer.

"No", she answered trying to keep a strong voice. She didn't want to be vulnerable and she even less wanted him to believe her to be so.

He placed his right and on her shoulder and pulled her into his arm, before he pulled her along back to the bunk she had just fallen out of. She was too surprised to push him away. She felt too comfortable in his arm to care for it at all.

Hook stopped in front of the bunk, threatening to sit down with her, as he said in a sleepy voice, "the men didn't hear anything. Let's get back to sleep."

She sat down on the edge of the bunk and looked up to him as he threatened to do the same. Even though she was feeling cold where he had touched her before and she was still confused because of her dream, she wasn't foolish enough to oversee the most obvious danger directed on her now, "Hook, your hammock is over there."

"I know", he said like he was already sleepy again, "but I thought you could need comfort."

"I don't", she said as amused by his weak try to sneak into her bed as she actually had to smile.

He sighed like he was disappointed and shrugged as he stepped back without turning away from her, "and here I thought I had a chance to support you."

"That's nice", she admitted watched him crashing into the chair at his desk. He stumbled and got back on track without leaving her out of his sight. She couldn't stop smiling over this, "but there is no need for that."

"You actually would have done me a favor, Love", he said softly and besides his amusement there was something honest in his voice. As he called her "Love", there was something intense in his voice, something that reminded her of the part of her dream where she had been longing for his touch.

Her smile vanished and her voice sounded tense, "isn't the hammock comfortable enough?"

He growled as he stopped right in front of it and shrugged, "it's cold."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you", she said sarcastically and smiled again. He had sounded like a little boy.

"As sorry that you'd invite me in", he asked charmingly and waited for her answer still standing in front of his hammock just like he believed she would ever do that. They both already knew the answer to that even before she spelled it out.

"Nice try", she stated and held back a grin as she lay back down and he climbed back into his hammock again, "but I'm afraid you'll have to think of something better, if you want to get my bunk."

He chuckled just like he was holding back an open laugh, but she couldn't understand what was so funny about this. It was a fact and even before she had spelled it out, they had both known about it perfectly.

"What's so funny", she asked curious now and turned to her right so she could look into his direction. The bunk was still warm from her body before.

"Nothing", he said still amused. He took a deep breath and became more serious again, "are you still mad at me?"

"For what", she asked confused, "because you tried to take advantage that I'm sleepy to sneak into my bed?"

She could hear the smile in his voice, "Love, I'd never force myself on you."

Emma frowned, wondering if he meant that he would never force himself on her because it was her and not another woman or because he just wouldn't do something like that. However, she'd never ask him.

She decided to reach for safer ground, "for what should I be angry with you?"

"I assume I shouldn't remind you of that", he almost whispered and she had the feeling that he actually was talking to himself but her.

"Why that", she asked curious and waited for his answer. There was something comfortable in the way they were talking now. She felt comfortable like this.

She heard the squeak of the hammock as he turned in it, before she felt his gaze directed on her, but she didn't have a problem with this at all now.

"Because right now you're so nice to me", he admitted in a whisper that barely reached her ears, "and if I remind you of it, you might just start to…"

"To what", she asked softly as he didn't finish his sentence.

"To treat me like a threat again", he said slowly.

There was silence in which she thought about it. It was true. She usually didn't trust him at all, even though he had done nothing to threaten her or to betray her so far ever since they had teamed up. But just because he hadn't done it yet, didn't mean he couldn't try to in the future. She was too afraid and she just didn't trust him. Even if she would have wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to do it.

"I'm just wondering why", he said more to himself than to her. She wasn't even certain that he had wanted her to hear it at all, especially not when he said in a louder voice, "so what was your dream about?"

Emma sighed, "why do you ask?"

"You really were screaming", he said silently, "I was quite worried."

Truth.

Emma stared into the darkness. She didn't know what to say or how to react. She wasn't used to someone being worried for her. The last time had been four years ago and even back then she hadn't been able to open up to Graham. How was she supposed to react now? She was nervous, her blood rushed through her veins until she felt like her arms were shaking, even though they weren't moving at all.

"And you said something like "I want more" before you started screaming, so I was quite curious", he added amused as he noticed that she wouldn't say anything.

She stared into the darkness. She was shocked since she could easily imagine what this phrase had been about, but there was no way she'd ever tell him. She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it and closed it again. She thought about it for a moment longer, before she said, "I don't understand what should be so interesting about this."

"Well", he said very slowly in a very low voice, "I thought I could participate."

"Really?"

"That was until you started screaming, of course", he added, "but I could imagine a way to hear that sentence out of your mouth again."

"No, thank you", she said and rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath and changed the subject before he would start all over again, "you still haven't told my why I should be angry with you."

He growled, "and since you're still too sleepy to remember, I think I should just leave it be."

"And what was so funny earlier", she asked remembering his chuckle when she had told him he would need to try something else if he really wanted to sneak into her bed. Maybe it was a bad decision to ask about it even though she had decided to never do it at all, but she was curious.

He chuckled again, "change your mind and I'll show you."

Emma rolled her eyes and turned on her left. He just wanted to anger her. He wanted to trick her into something just like he had tricked her into separating from him in Snow White's castle earlier this night. She sighed.

"What's wrong", he asked curious as he heard her snort.

"I just remembered the reason to be angry with you", she pretended and waited for his answer.

He fell for it, "oh come on, Love. We can still tell her, if we find out that her mother didn't take that boy."

Now she really did remember. He hadn't told Regina about the foster-mother Hillary and the maiden telling her about her. She was upset, "it could be too late by then."

"You didn't remember it, did you", he asked assuming the truth and feeling bad for reminding her. He sighed and the hammock squeaked again as he turned back on his back, "and here I thought you were finally opening up to me."

"Why didn't you tell her", she asked ignoring his disappointed statement and looked at the wall in front of her.

"Just imagine it wasn't that foster-mother", he said slowly, "imagine the maiden has been wrong herself blinded by her jealousy. What do you think Regina would have done to that poor woman?"

"Are you telling me that you're just trying to protect an innocent woman", she asked skeptically.

"Maybe", he said slowly, "but maybe I want her to focus on her task to help us more than to waste her attention on a woman we don't even know something about. We'll need all of her attention, as soon as we come close to that bloody island, Love."

She didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She could understand the logic in his words, but she still felt bad about his decision. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was wrong.

"Why did you scream", he asked again in a very silent voice.

"I dreamed I was falling", she said as silently as she wasn't certain he could hear her at all through the sound of the moving ship. She wouldn't tell him the whole truth. She wouldn't tell him that she had remembered something of her past in her dream. She could understand that part of her dream better than anything of it except for the part about Graham perhaps. Falling into nothing was equal to what had really happened to her back then, but it was the first time she was dreaming about it like this.

"Who could possibly let you fall, Love", he growled like he really couldn't imagine someone to do that. It was comforting.

Emma closed her eyes in an attempt to fall back into sleep, but he didn't stop talking, "and what was your demand for more about?"

"Can't you just let it pass", she asked sleepy and annoyed that he would ask for that part of her dream again.

"I'm curious", he admitted, "and if I really want to sneak into your bunk one day, I think I should know about it."

She chuckled soundlessly. He had even used her own words to lure her out. But she wouldn't let it work. She wouldn't give in to it, "what makes you believe you could ever achieve that? I don't even trust you."

She could hear the smile in his voice in addition to his confidence, "you challenged me, Love. People who know me never do that, if they don't want me to do something."

"Why that?"

"Because I try as long until I achieve what I've been challenged about", he declared and she could hear the evidence in his voice. It was true, what was quite threatening. She swallowed hard. She had never intended to provoke him into something like that. She actually wished she could take back her words. But she didn't even trust him, so there was no way she'd fall for him. She ignored the small voice in the back of her mind reminding her of her dream and cuddled deeper into her pillow.

"We need to talk about this trust-issue, Love", he suddenly said silently and she could feel his gaze directed at her.

"Why that?"

"Because if we want to survive our trip, we need to work as a team", he stated, "which means, we need to trust each other or we'll fail immensely."

She sighed, "and how should that work?"

"I guess we need to know each other better", he said charmingly, "want to take a try?"

"Are we still talking about our trip in two days from now", she asked carefully and grinned.

"Oh, I see, you're already warming up to, Swan", he said mockingly before he was very serious again, "I'd never trick myself into your bed."

"That's true."

He chuckled understanding that she was telling him, she wouldn't fall for it anyway. She heard him move in his hammock again as he sighed, "so, why can't you trust me?"

"Why do you want to kill Rumpelstiltskin", she asked instead of answering him. She knew that he had just as much trouble to open up to her as she had to open up to him.

Hook sighed, "fine, then I'll start. But I've got to warn you. It's a long story."

Emma frowned. She was surprised that he actually was willing to tell her about it. She had expected him to close up and shut her out. She turned to her right again so she would look at him through the dark. The night was already lightening up as the day was dawning. She would be tired for the rest of the day.

"We landed at a small harboring village as I met her in a tavern. She listened to our stories, drank with us, played dice and laughed. When I watched her I had the feeling to look into a cage. She was like locked up bird singing its songs through the bars of its prison. I liked her immediately."

Emma frowned, "I thought you wanted to tell me about Rumpelstiltskin."

"Don't pretend to be dumb. You already have noticed the connection between my wish for revenge and Milah, haven't you?"

"What happened then", she asked without admitting or denying anything. Now that he had actually proofed her theory to be right and wanted to tell her about the woman, she had been curious of the entire time now, she was more curious than ever.

"Her husband showed up", he said like he was amused of this memory, "he was a coward, who had run away from the ogre war to be with his family as he said. For that he even hurt his own leg, so he had to stumble for the rest of his life. But Milah always felt like he was just using them as an excuse to give in to his fear and run as the coward he was."

"Do you really think he was a coward?"

"He brought his son with them into a tavern to take his drunken mother back home", he stated, "how would you call that?"

"Responsibly for the sake of his child", she said carefully. She didn't want to offend him, because she didn't want him to stop his story.

"He could have left him with the woman living right beside them", Hook said objectively, but she knew he wasn't. He couldn't be, since he clearly was on Milah's side, "but he didn't even ask her to take care for the boy. Well, the next day Milah appeared on my ship. She wanted to join us, to leave all this mess that was her life behind as she said."

"What about her son?"

"We couldn't take him along", he whispered, "he was too young for a live of a pirate. But we planned to pick him up if he'd be older. When her husband appeared on my ship demanding to get her back, I acted dump and challenged him to a duel. Of course he hid behind his son and it was better like that."

She noticed something she had forgotten about before, "did you say ogre wars? How old are you?"

Hook grinned, "I'm a master in surviving, Love."

"And in growing into a mummy", she asked surprised.

"Perhaps", he chuckled but it was obvious he wouldn't tell her how he had done that.

"What then", Emma asked curious and waited for him to continue.

He changed his posture and the hammock squeaked again, "we had a great time together and after a while I fell for her. We were happy until I stumbled into Rumpelstiltskin one day. He wanted to take revenge for the life of his wife he believed to be dead for some reason. He had even told his son that I had killed her.

However, we fought and he won because he used his magic to trick me. When he was about to kill me, Milah stopped him in order to protect me. She offered him a magic bean to travel into other realms, knowing that he was longing to have it. She offered him a deal. He would get it in return for our lives.

I don't need to tell you that he didn't keep up to his word, do I?"

"What happened", Emma asked in a very silent voice.

"He reaped out her heart and crushed it right in front of me. I couldn't do anything. He refused to kill me and cut off my hand believing I was holding on to the bean, before he vanished."

She didn't know what to say about it. She couldn't understand Milah's decision to leave behind her son. She would never be able to understand it, no matter what would happen, because she had been an orphan herself and she knew how a kid longing for his mother was feeling. She would never be able to shake off the urge to find a home because her parents had given up on her. But she understood that to leave behind her son had been a decision she had made and not Hook. And she understood where he had gotten his nickname from now. It was quite matching and it was proof of his wish of revenge.

"Now you", he demanded and waited for her story.

She closed her eyes, "I never said I'd tell you something."

Hook growled angrily, "come on, Love, quit pro quo."

She snorted and turned on her back to stare at the ceiling, she could see through the morning light breaking into the room now.

"Tell me why you want to chase down Blackbeard", he demanded, "is it because of revenge?"

"For knowing people as good as you always pretend to, you're quite bad at understanding their reasons", she said silently. Now that the room was as light again, she had to be more carefully, since he could see her now. She didn't want to reveal too much to him. Actually she didn't want to tell him anything at all, because she wasn't used to tell reveal anything about herself to anyone.

"Graham was a friend of mine", she started to keep the story as shortly as she could. Never would she have expected him to already have a reaction to this.

"Graham", Hook asked surprised and pushed himself up in his hammock so he could see her more easily, "are we talking about the huntsman Graham?"

She frowned and looked at him, "you knew him?"

He swallowed, "you were friends, so?"

Emma sighed and looked at the ceiling again, "he taught me everything I know about fighting and surviving. He was there for me just like he was there for others. So when Blackbeard and his crew attacked the village we were currently staying at, he fought like a lion. He followed them into the woods, as they were done raping women, killing their men and stealing everything they had to survive. When I found him, he collapsed on the ground. He died in my arms and all I know about it is that he was fighting Blackbeard himself before he died."

"How do you know that", Hook asked curious and sat up in his hammock.

She looked at him, watched him getting to his feet and sat up herself, "a farmer had seen them fighting."

"And what do you want with Blackbeard now, if you don't want to take revenge on him", he asked confused and slipped into his boots.

Emma crossed her legs and watched him, "I want to know who killed him."

He looked up to her, "but if he was fighting Graham…"

"There was not even a single trace of an injury on his whole body", she explained, "Blackbeard didn't kill him and I need to know who did it for real."

Hook sighed and walked up to his desk. He yawned as he shielded his eyes against the sun with his hand, "So that's it all about. I see. How did you survive?"

"I fought", she said like it was the simplest thing in the world, "I survived because Blackbeard called Hawke back."

He stared at her, "Hawke? You've been luckier than I actually thought you were."

"Back then I was just a beginner, but now I could take him on, believe me."

He looked away from her and as he spoke again his voice was quite tense just like when he had been talking about Milah's death before, "I wouldn't want to see that."

Emma resisted the urge to ask why, but decided to take advantage of his talkative mood, "what about your connection to the witches?"

Hook sighed, "seriously?"

"You were talking about working as a team and yet you don't want to share the most important information for our upcoming adventure with me", she asked mockingly before she imitated him, "seriously?"

He grinned and leaned back at the wall with the windows, crossing his warms in front of his chest and looking at her. Her hair was a mess, she had dark circles under hear eyes, because she hadn't slept enough and her stomach was already yelling for something to eat and still he was looking at her like she was beautiful. She looked at her hands, telling herself that she was imagining things because of her stupid dream, before she looked up to him again.

"When I broke into Regina's castle to find Belle, she caught me", he admitted just like he was still annoyed about it, "she offered me a deal. She wanted to cast her curse, so I should be able to kill the old crocodile."

"With that you mean Rumpelstiltskin?"

He nodded, "all I had to do was, to kill her mother and bring her body and her heart back to her. So I let her send me to Wonderland with one of the soldiers I had killed before."

"Why that", she asked confused.

"Because it was a condition to use that portal. Only as many people, who get through, can come back to where they left of", he answered rolling his eyes, "well, her mother wasn't as happy to meet me and came up with another idea. She wanted to join me back to Regina alive and she wanted to pretend to be dead in return for my life and the opportunity to fight my crocodile in the land without magic, where Regina's curse would have taken us, if it would have worked out."

"How did she find you?"

"She was ruling the whole damn place with her magic", he explained, "there was no way to reach her unnoticed. And before you ask, I agreed to it, because I was upset with Regina. Her curse would have made Rumpelstiltskin vulnerable but it would have taken my memories as well."

"You wouldn't have remembered your whish to kill him."

"Exactly", he said before he continued, "she changed her plan of stopping Regina and planned to survive the curse unharmed instead. She wanted to wait for twenty-eight years, because the curse was supposed to be broken by a savior by then."

"But why did she do that?"

"Because she wanted to get her daughter back and she believed she would achieve that, when the curse would be broken and Regina would be all alone."

"So she changed the parameters of your deal."

"Indeed. You can imagine I wasn't too happy about that", he stated and looked at his boots, "so I refused to help her to make that curse work."

Emma stared at him. He was lying. She could easily hear it in his voice even though he was a good liar. Even though she wanted to know the whole truth, she didn't ask for it. She knew what she needed to know: that he had betrayed her for getting back her daughter somehow so she wanted to see him dead.

"I see", she said pretending to believe his whole story and slipped into her boots. He approached her, "why do you have those trust issues, Love?"

She didn't react to it, but continued to take on her boots, before she pulled her hair back. They really were a mess.

"You won't tell me, will you?"

She looked up to him, "I was betrayed. That's it."

He raised an eyebrow, "that's not much, don't you think? There has to be a deeper meaning to it. What is it?"

Emma stood up and pulled at her shirt until it was back in place ignoring how close he was standing to her know in his dark blue shirt without wearing his vest. She didn't even dare to look at his bare chest, since his shirt was opened down to his leather pants, while she tried to push away the memories of her dream.

Even though every other part of that dream except her strangely changed memories of her little run in with Snow White had been darker and more cruel than the part about Hook, she felt like it had been the worst of all of them, since she had to see him every single second, being reminded of it with every blink of his eyes and like that wasn't already enough he kept invading her personal space like that damn word meant that he had to stand as close to her as she could feel the warmth of his body all the time, even though he wasn't touching her.

"That's all", she said remembering his last question and looked up into his eyes. A mistake, but she could cover it up.

"Oh come on, Love", he whispered charmingly, "I need something in return for my honesty."

"Really", she held back a smile, "how could I oversee that."

"So you finally understand", he smiled charmingly and naughty.

"Hm…yes I do", she said and grinned smartly, "luckily that doesn't mean I have to tell you everything and it doesn't mean I have to tell you now."

She turned her back on him and smiled as she noticed how his smile vanished in astonishment. He obviously hadn't expected this, but he wasn't embarrassed to say something anyway, "oh come on, Love. Give me at least a little something."

Emma stopped in front of the door and sighed, "what?"

"What is your greatest fear, Love?"

She frowned and looked at him, "for what do you need to know that?"

Hook let out a breath in disappointment, "and here you go again, being all distrusting even though we just opened up to each other."

She raised an eyebrow and waited for his real answer to her question. She could team up with him, she could share a room with him, she could even have bloody dreams about him kissing her neck, but telling him about her biggest fear? That was asked a little too much, wasn't it? Fear was a useful tool, if you knew what to do with it and how to enact it.

He closed his eyes for a short moment, looked to his left and finally answered her honestly, "Regina's mother might use it against you, if our plan won't work the way we want it to. If I know about it, I can help you."

Truth.

"I see", she said and looked to the ground. She frowned. Since she had never thought about it, she didn't know the answer at all. She had fought murderers, pirates, thieves and guards just like other bounty hunters like her, who had tried to earn the bounty that was still on her head in some realms, but she had never feared any of them. She had always survived and she had always found a solution, so somehow you could call her an artist in survival just like Hook.

Hook, who made a deal with her. Hook, who had opened up to her, who had been honest with her about most of his stories. Hook, who demanded to know the answer to his question. Hook, who kept invading her personal space in every possible way over and over again.

Hook, who had popped up in her dream like a damn bubble in the water, approaching her like a cat, kissing her neck like it was everything he had ever wanted to do, like it was the only thing to keep him alive and looking at her like he could burn her with just one blink of is ocean blue eyes.

"So", he asked after a moment of silence, still waiting for her answer.

She was as caught up in her thoughts that had taken their own way, as she looked up to him without even thinking about it for a single second. Whatever it was he saw in her eyes, it seemed to be answer enough for him, even though she didn't know the answer herself yet. She didn't want to listen to anything he would have to say about it, but left the room.

She didn't want to think about to what conclusion he could have come through meeting her gaze and she didn't care about it. She just wanted to shut out this whole conversation and to think of something else but that dream.

Just as she reached the galley where Blake was already working, she could breathe easily again.


	8. Pride comes before the fall

7\. Pride comes before the fall

It was time and she was more than nervous now. They had told Snow White and Charming about their plan so nobody would be able to blame her for working against them again.

That had been Robin's idea. She wouldn't have done it, but he had insisted on it and his arguments for it had been just too good to ignore it. Besides that he had listened to her and her story with her mother. He had listened to her without interrupting her, as she had told him, how Cora had killed her first love Daniel, how she had forced her to marry Snow White's father and how she had gotten rid of her with Rumpelstiltskin's help. He had listened to her, when she had told him how she had met Hook - even though she hadn't mentioned Belle - and he had accepted but not appreciated that she had send the pirate after Cora to kill her.

Even though he disliked most of her decisions of her past, he had been the first person to actually feel sorry for her and the first one she accepted it of, because he had nothing to do with all this unlike Snow White. She wanted to work together with him, what was the first time ever since Daniel had died. It was the first time she wanted to have someone around herself out of his free will, without being forced by her. She discovered that she actually wanted to gain his trust and that it meant more to here, than she had expected it in the first place, that he would be around and help her, even though she knew there might not be much, he could do.

Robin looked at her. They were standing side by side in front of a mirror, which Regina had hidden under a blanket years ago. He had no idea from where she had gotten it all of a sudden, but with one movement of her hand it had suddenly appeared right in front of them. It was part of the plan they had made with Hook before.

"Are you ready?"

Regina nervously bit her bottom lip, "are you?"

He sighed, "I guess nobody would ever be ready for this, right? But it's not up to me but you. She is your mother and you'll have to survive her, not me", he pointed out and mentioned all of her doubts she was hiding deep down her soul just like he was able to read in it as in a book.

She took a deep breath, "I'm not certain it'll work."

"I know."

"What if I fail?"

He twitched up a corner of his mouth, "you won't."

Regina looked into his eyes and the cold that was reaching for her heart was held at bay by his trust and believe in her even though she had no idea where all this was coming from.

How was it possible that she was already feeling that close to him, even though she had hated him just a few days ago? How was it possible that he was giving her that much strength even though she didn't even really know him? What did she know about him?

He was a thief; he was a father of a four or five year old boy. He had offered his help to Snow White and Charming. Arguing with him could be fun. He could keep a secret and if he decided to support you, he was really encouraging. He could give her strength and allowed her to develop self-confidence. But she didn't know anything about the person and his past behind all this.

When she had told him how she had banished her mother to Wonderland, they had come up with this idea. The problem had been to get one of those mirrors. Rumpelstiltskin had taken the remains of the mirror they had used all those years ago at the day of her wedding to send Cora away again and besides that specimen of a portal she hadn't known another mirror with the same function.

So she had contacted the Dark One and had discovered they shared a common goal. But he had still been angry with her for the damaged curse, he had made himself. So she had given a magical globe to him, which she had used to find her mother all those years ago before she had sent the hatter to her. Even though it had been damaged ever since he had accepted it in return for the damaged mirror standing in front of them now.

Regina took a deep breath, "do you have the flask?"

Without saying anything he held it out to her. The liquid in the transparent little bottle was brown like mud. She had never seen something like that and she didn't know if it would work. It had been the first time she had created an elixir like this and she was worried because of its color. Usually stuff like that turned blue, red, yellow or even purple, but it never turned brown.

Robin noticed her worried expression as she stared at the flask in his hand. He grinned, "we've got nothing to lose, even if it won't work."

She looked up to him, "actually we've got to lose our only chance to survive her. If this doesn't work it might damage the mirror and I have no idea what we could do to fight her then."

"You've fought her for so many years now, do you really believe you could lose to her now", he asked skeptically, but she could see how worried he was himself.

She put on a smile and stepped back without breaking their eye contact. He followed her almost automatically until she stopped, deciding they had gone far enough.

Again he held out the flask to her, but she didn't take it. She just shook her head and looked up to him, "I thought since it was basically your idea…"

"Yes", he asked curious and looked at her in astonishment.

"Well…do you want to…?"

His expression changed into realization combined with surprise, "what do I need to do? Can I do something wrong?"

"No", she almost smiled, "you just need to throw it."

"Why me?"

"It was your idea and I just thought you'd like to do it yourself", she explained in a hurry, believing her thoughts were ridiculous by now, "look, if you don't want to-"

He turned and threw the flask at the mirror. He looked like a little boy as he watched the glass break underneath the hidden mirror, the brown liquid turning into brown smoke floating up underneath the blanket the mirror was covered underneath and causing a breeze that made it move like it was alive. When the blanket fell back so it was simply covering the mirror like before again, they walked up to it and stopped where they had been standing before.

Regina squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before she said deciding, "pull it off."

He reached for the top of the mirror to pull away the blanket, as the sleeve of his shirt slipped back and revealed a tattoo of a lion surrounded by a black shield. His tattoo was a blazon painted on his skin.

Regina stared at it in shock and stepped back. She couldn't believe this.

Tinkerbelle had shown her this tattoo years ago as the symbol of the man who was supposed to be her true love. She had seen this very tattoo when they had peeked into a tavern. She had seen the back of the man it belonged to and still she had never expected it to be him, nor had she recognized any resemblance between the two men. Well, she hadn't had a lot to recognize at all, but still…

Was it really possible that someone's past would sneak up on him like this even after all those years? Back then she hadn't been ready for this. She hadn't been ready to leave her past and love for Daniel and her anger and lust for revenge for Snow White behind like nothing had happened at all. Back then she had decided to ignore Tinkerbelle's words; she had risked the fairy's future and had chosen to search for her vengeance instead, because she had been just too afraid to be refused by him. She had been as much afraid of it as she had been afraid of being welcomed with open arms by him.

Robin noticed her reaction after a moment of looking into the mirror and misunderstood her, "is something wrong? Didn't it work?" He looked at the mirror that was reflecting them just like every other one would do it, like he was searching for a mistake in it. When Rumpelstiltskin had sent it to them in exchange for the broken globe, there had been no glass in its frame. So for now it seemed to have worked. At least her elixir had repaired the glass. If it had restored the spell on it on the other hand was a little more difficult to find out.

"No", Regina tried to say calmly and failed, since she was still too confused as she looked at it as well, "I guess it worked."

"How can we be certain", he asked and looked at her.

She held up her hand and an apple appeared on her palm. She held it close to the mirror and it was sucked inside revealing a grey landscape of a huge town to them, before their reflections replaced it again, "it worked."

He seemed to be relieved.

Regina swallowed hard and looked at the wrist where she knew his tattoo was at. She just couldn't leave it be. She just couldn't forget about it. She needed to let it out or she might explode, but she was quite nervous, "that tattoo…"

She didn't know how to finish her question. Bloody hell, she hadn't even an idea what she wanted to ask at all.

"What? That", he held it out to her in astonishment and misunderstood her again, "it didn't hurt, if it's that what you want to know."

She stared at it ignoring his words, "where did you get that?"

Robin shrugged like it was nothing, "when I was fighting for my king, I became close friends with some of the soldiers. Three of us were drunk and proud of our oath enough to get such a tattoo."

"Three of you, you say", she asked almost paralyzed. She didn't know if she should be happy to hear that it could be possible that it hadn't been him back then or if she'd be disappointed about it. Maybe he wasn't the person she believed him to be at all.

When she looked into his eyes again, she had to admit that she actually whished it was him. It was frightening and strange, but she couldn't deny it. She felt addicted to him and she couldn't imagine she could feel like that for anybody else again.

"Oh, you know one of them", he informed her like he had just realized it.

"Who", she asked curious and nervous at the same time. If it really wasn't him, then her past still could have caught up to her. It was still possible that her true love was near her anyway.

"Yes", he said softly, "you've met him when we met the first time, I assume. His name is Lancelot and he is a knight."

"Lancelot", she repeated the name surprised and stared at him, "but your tattoo is of a lion. I thought Lancelot fought for King George before he switched sides to help Snow White. How is that possible?"

"Lancelot has fought for a lot of men before", Robin explain almost amused, "he started as a knight at King Arthur's legendary roundtable, but fell in love with the queen, so he decided to leave them and ended up in King Richard's army with the symbol of a lion. I was part of that army."

"And what happened then", Regina asked more curious for his back-story than for the knight's now. It was the first time for a very long time that she actually cared for somebody's story just because she was interested in it, instead of searching for something she could use against that person.

"King Richard changed his goals misguided by greed and hungry for power. I left him even before Lancelot did and the third of us died fighting for him", he said dark shadows clouding his eyes, "I teamed up with others of our group who had left with me. You've seen most of those men. They are my merry men now. Then I met Marian, who gave Roland to me and I had to burry her."

Regina knew she had to say something about this. It was a rule of politeness to say something about that, but telling him that she was sorry wouldn't help him. She knew it. When Daniel had died those words hadn't been of any help for her, even though they had been better than her mother trying to convince her it was better like this for her future. Despite that she had never been honest, when she had used those words in the past. She had always been sarcastically when she had said something like that to hurt the grieving ones on top of their pain of losing someone.

"That must have been hard", she said sensitively instead. At least she hoped it sounded like that, since she really meant it that way.

Robin snapped out of his thoughts, "I guess it was better like this for her."

Even though she was more than curious about what had happened to her, especially when she noticed his somehow cold expression, she decided not to ask now. There was something she was interested in more than his dead wife, "and Roland?"

"I'm always worried for him. Marian died when he was just four years old. He remembers and misses her, but I think he understands that she is dead. I'm just worried that it could be a problem for him to grow up without a mother. He's always surrounded by my men and sometimes I think he hears more then he should."

"But he seems to be healthy and quite lively."

He smiled with all the pride of a father for his son and warmed her heart with it, "yes, indeed. But I'm afraid he is missing manners."

Regina chuckled, "he's still a kid. He can still learn those things later on. And by the way, he left a really polite expression on me. I didn't notice missing manners."

For a long moment he simply looked into her eyes without saying anything, but it felt like he was telling her more than he could have done with words. She felt connected to him through the way he focused on her. If she wasn't mistaken, then there was something like relief, gratitude and affection in his eyes.

She looked away destroying that tense moment between them and looked in the mirror instead.

"Lancelot must have ended up with King George after I left", he continued his story to bridge over the strange moment between them, "all I know is that he was the one who brought us to Snow White and Charming to help them search for Prince Henry."

"And the three of you were the only ones with such a tattoo?"

Robin frowned, "as far as I know. But you should have seen theirs. Mine was definitely the best one."

Regina smiled, but resisted the urge to ask why. She had heard enough. Lancelot definitely wasn't the man Tinkerbelle and her had seen so many years ago. So weather her true love was standing right beside her now or he was already dead. And there was no way to tell them apart anymore without involving a fairy again, which was something she'd never do. Just good she had no interest to find out who was the real one.

"So what now", he asked leaning forward to take a closer look at the mirror. He sounded almost disappointed because she didn't pick up what he had thrown at her to flirt.

Regina pulled him back, "don't get too close or it sucks you in and you end up in there instead of her just like the apple and we don't want that, do we?"

Robin grinned at her, "no?"

"No", she said with all her heart, before she broke their eye contact again, "just think of your Roland. He'd lose both of his parents if you'd disappear in there."

His grin vanished and he looked after her seriously as she left him with the mirror, "he'd still have my merry men to take care of him."

"Sure", she admitted and stopped in front of her dressing table without any reason to be there at all, "but they're hardly capable of raising a child in a proper way if they've never had one themselves and lived in a forest without any responsibilities."

"They love him", he said in a low voice and slowly walked up to her, but she tried hard not to notice it.

"Yes", she admitted and took on her gloves, "but you just admitted that love wasn't enough and that it might not be good for him to hear everything they say. You're aware of it, but they might not be."

She hadn't noticed how close he had gotten while she had been talking. But when he said something again, she could feel his breath in her neck. She winced and wanted to turn around, but he stopped her gently by placing his hands on her shoulders, "would you take care of him then?"

"Me", she asked surprised and noticed ashamed that her voice was shaking, "I'm the Evil Queen. Don't you think you should ask someone else?"

"Who for example", she had goose bumps by now.

"Snow White", she said and rolled her eyes since her stepdaughter always seemed to be everyone's first choice in those matters. Even for her as it seemed and that was pretty annoying.

Robin chuckled into her ear, before he said, "why her?"

"Because everyone asks her in those matters", Regina said without thinking about it and bit her tongue immediately. She didn't want to appear to be jealous and she already regretted that she had said that.

"And if I ask you", he whispered in a low voice after a long moment of silence and she felt the urge to run away afraid of what she had just discovered about him and what his words were doing with her now.

She finally turned to look at him escaping his grip on her shoulders but almost crashing into his chest for it instead. She could feel the warmth of his body and smell the leather of his cloths, "don't you think you should ask somebody you know a little better and longer than me? Someone you don't just know for around six days?"

Robin frowned like he was surprised of his own actions himself and stepped back, "sure."

The tension between them turned into awkwardness and the air became thick as butter. If she wouldn't have known it better she would have thought that he already trusted her like they had known each other longer than that short time. But did she know it better? What would he have done if she would have simply agreed to it? Would he have simply entrusted his son to her officially just in case something would happen to him? Would he have kissed her neck? Would he have turned her around to kiss her lips until she would have forgotten about her mother and all her pains and sorrows? Would he have forgiven her for everything she had done in the past like nobody else had ever been able to maybe except for Henry?

Would she have returned those kisses? Would she have allowed him to erase all those problems? Would she have enjoyed it? She didn't know the answers to all these questions and she would never find out now.

Nevertheless she knew, that, while she wasn't certain about his thoughts and feelings yet, she already trusted him enough to lay her life into his hands. She knew she would do everything for his son if something would happen to him and it was frightening her how scared she already was that it could happen.

"It's time", the genie said out of his mirror from somewhere behind her and interrupted their silent stare.

Robin sighed, "well, in that case I better get to my position."

"Wait", Regina stopped him suddenly understanding something that had been bothering her the whole time, "we change the plan."

"What", he asked surprised, "now? No. That's too risky."

"Would you just listen to me before you start to argue? The plan won't work like this", she said strongly.

"And what is your big plan", he asked sarcastically and glared at her.

"You need to leave."

"What", he almost shouted, "no! I won't leave you alone with her after everything you've told me about her."

"But you need to", she insisted and reached for her chest.

Robin frowned and watched her without understanding her and kind of fascinated of what she was doing for a moment, "you're afraid she could do the same to me she did to Daniel, right?"

She froze with her hand placed upon her heart and stared at him astonished and scared. As he noticed her reaction, he let out a disappointed breath, placed his hands encouragingly on her shoulders and seemed to regret his own words, "I'm sorry. I don't want to use this against you, but you can't worry about me when you've got to focus on your mother now. We shouldn't have talked about Roland and me like that and I shouldn't have said any-"

"It's not like that", she stopped him even though she knew he had a point there, "I need you to do something else for me."

Robin looked at her in astonishment. He had no idea what she could have come up with now and she couldn't blame him for it, since there was no way he could know about something like that, since he had nothing to do with magic. She decided not to enlighten him with words, but to simply do what she wanted to do even though it would be quite creepy for him. But she couldn't waste anymore time with discussing something like that. She had to hurry if she really wanted to help Hook and his strange partner. She already was late.

Regina stepped back and freed her shoulders in the process as she finally reached right into her chest. She grabbed her heart feeling its beat speeding up in her hand and pulled ignoring the stabbing pain as the magic prevented that it would stop beating when the veins broke their connection to it and stopped feeding it with blood for a short moment. It skipped a beat before the magic created a different connection between it and her veins so her blood could reach it anyway even before she pulled it out of her chest. She breathed heavily and needed a moment to calm down again.

When she met Robin's eyes, he stared at her in disbelieve and shock just like she had expected him to. His eyes wandered slowly to her heart she was still holding in her hand and his face turned pale. He still couldn't understand her and it was obvious he was disgusted of what she had just done.

Before he could say anything she held it out to him, "the only way to safe me is to hide my heart. I can't simply hide it in this castle because she could find it easily and if she gets a hold on it, I'll be screwed. With this heart she can't just kill me, she can control me. I'd be a prisoner in my own body and she'd finally get what she always wanted."

"And what would that be", he asked still starring at her heart.

"Power over me just like she had had it when she had killed Daniel and had forced me to marry Snow White's father", she said silently but urgently, "you are my best option. I trust you with this."

He looked into her eyes for a long moment, before he held out his hand to her mechanically allowing her to place her heart in it even though he didn't like it. He looked down at it as he felt its beat in his palm with huge respect. She could see how worried he was to hurt it and she knew she had made the right decision. He would be careful with it.

"What shall I do", he whispered husky and kept starring at her heart, "do I need to think of something?"

"Just take care of it", she answered in a whisper, "and please, don't squeeze it."

Now he looked up to her. He really was pale but she could see astonishment in his eyes as well. She had no idea if he knew anything about hearts and the magic on it, when they were reaped out, but she knew that he was astonished of the feeling in his hand and of her trust in him. She could see it in his eyes.

They were clouded by worry when he finally said, "but you won't have any help against her. You'll have to face her all alone."

"I've done that before", she stated, "and it had been more than dangerous. But now I won't be alone, because you'll take care of it. You'll help me with taking it with you more than you could by staying here with me." She took his hand with her heart into hers and stepped closer to him, looking intensely into his eyes, "Robin, please."

He stared at her like she had bewitched him with her words and suddenly she felt like she could see right through him, his eyes being the portals to his soul. She hadn't even realized what she had been doing, when she had taken his hand into both of hers, but she felt like she had opened up to him more than ever before.

Robin nodded slowly and as she let go of his hand, he shoved her heart slowly and carefully into a bag that was hanging to his side, "fine. But if you die, I'll kill you and believe me, I'll know when you do." He looked into her eyes honestly and intensively.

She knew this was supposed to encourage her and wasn't something he said to threaten her, but still she felt the urge to tell him the truth, "it won't stop as long as you take care of it. She won't be able to kill me easily if you take it with you."

Robin sighed, "and still I'd prefer to stay here with you."

She twitched up a corner of her mouth, "believe me; this task is far more dangerous and difficult than staying with me and facing her in person."

He frowned, "this is not about facing danger or proofing my bravery. I don't like that I have to leave you alone with her after everything you've told me so far. And that you prefer to reap out your own heart so she can't get a hold on it, doesn't make it any better."

"Just take care of it", she said shyly since she wasn't used to be cared for anymore.

As he noticed it, he stepped back and turned on his heels, leaving her behind, "you know where you can find me. I'll be waiting for you. If you need me, call me."

"Yes."

"Good luck", he whispered as he left but she could hear it anyway.

Regina stared at the door through which he had just vanished for a long moment, before she turned to the chaise lounge they had pushed to the side so there would be enough space for the mirror and did the last thing that was left to be done before she'd have to call for her mother.

* * *

The icy air was cutting into her flesh like a knife, while small stones rained down on her from every step he took before her. Not for the first time she had to shake her right arm while holding on to the rope so she wouldn't fall down and end up as food for the seagulls down on those huge cliffs where their small boat was waiting for them.

"Why do I need to wear this stupid bracelet again", she asked annoyed and not for the first time tonight. It kept slipping up and down her arm what was more than annoying for her especially when she thought of fighting. It would only be in her way.

"You should be thankful for it, Love", Hook grunted from above her while he kept climbing, "if it wasn't for that bracelet she'd already have noticed us. It's thanks to Regina she hasn't yet."

"And why again couldn't we just land on a beach or at least somewhere we wouldn't need to climb like this?"

"Because this is the closest place to her castle."

"Are you sure we can trust Regina", she asked and placed her left hand at the rope ignoring how it was hurting in her palm when she pulled herself up on it, "the last time you trusted her didn't turn out so well, did it?"

"What do you mean?"

Emma rolled her eyes knowing that he perfectly knew what she was referring to, "remember what you told me about your connection to them? She betrayed you once before."

"Actually she only tried to", he corrected her while avoiding a part of the mountain that was sticking too far outside above the water to actually climb it, "I was the one betraying her."

While waiting for him to successfully avoid the rock and watching him she took a rest, when she reached a place where she could easily stand. Her breath was still heavy, "now that you say it. You're right; she has no reason to take that out on you."

"She gave this bracelets to us", he defended her again and waited for her to follow his track without moving so it would be easier for her, because the rope wouldn't shake, "and it's thanks to her this rope was here."

Emma stopped because she couldn't continue to climb. He was too close to her, so she would hit her head at his boots, if she would, "she could want to take vengeance on you because you started that problem with her mother to begin with. And what makes you believe there isn't already someone up there waiting for us?"

"You really believe so", he asked appearing to be insecure now. It was like he actually cared for her opinion, but she knew it was just an act.

Emma rolled her eyes feeling her strength escaping her arms from simply hanging at this cliff, because he wouldn't climb, "would you just move? Regina didn't empower our strength to climb with this stupid bracelets after all."

Hook's laughter filled the air and vanished across the sea in the sound of the stormy waves breaking angrily and hungrily at the cliffs below them. But he continued to climb, "Regina can't effort to betray me. She needs me."

She finally pulled herself up that rock that had been in their way and grunted heavily, "if I remember right she already needed you the last time, didn't she?"

"She has changed", he said deciding, "that boy had changed her I assure you. Would you just stop shaking the rope like that, Love?"

"Sorry", she frowned and looked at her right wrist she placed at the rope in front of her eyes now, "it's just that bracelet."

"Whatever. If she wouldn't have changed for the better, she would already have killed me."

"She could still do that", Emma warned him, "but in teamwork with that devil of her mother."

Hook sighed, "you should really work on your trust issues, Love." Then he pulled himself up and vanished from her few in silence.

When Emma reached the edge she waited for him to show up again, before she'd follow him, because she didn't want to end up in a possible trap he might have just gotten into now. When he didn't show up she became nervous, "Hook?"

Suddenly his face appeared right in front of her so she was as affright as she almost let go of the rope. To make sure she wouldn't Hook reached almost automatically fast for her left hand, "worried for me, Love? I can reassure you. Up here is everything the way she has promised it to be."

Emma took the hand he was offering to her and allowed him to pull her up. She was still grunting when she took a look around while he pulled up the robe and rolled it up to hide it in a bush, so nobody would notice their arrival or would cut off their way to escape. They hadn't even taken one of his men along. Their boat was bound to a cliff down there without anybody taking care of it. They had left their cloaks in it, so they wouldn't stumble or be interfered by them by climbing.

They were standing in the shadow of a huge oak tree that seemed to be just as old as the cliff they'd just climbed up. In the near distance they could barely see the shape of an old castle against the darkness of the night disturbed by the moon and the stars. This had to be Cora's.

Besides that there was nothing to see accept some trees and bushes. There were no houses or even a small village but just grass moving slightly in the wind whizzing through it as far as they could see it.

Emma frowned as she noticed the castle in the distance, "I always thought her castle was near the Evil Queen's but this is a bloody island. We're anywhere but close to Regina's realm."

"I know that Regina had her hands in this", he said and pulled her along walking up to the place they were supposed to wait at under the tree according to their plan, "she didn't want her mother to be too close to her. They had been fighting all the time, when it had been clear how much Regina really had screwed up with her strange curse and her mother suddenly tried to take control over her again. Regina noticed the thread in her mother and used a spell to move her castle here, so she could breathe freely again."

"I see", Emma looked at the horizon as far as she could see it in the dark and out of the shadow of the oak tree he had just pulled her under, "isn't she late?"

"She is", Hook said tensely and pulled her closer to the tree trunk where they wouldn't be noticed too easily.

"And what-?"

"Scht", he interrupted her and shoved her closer against the tree covering her with his body like he was hugging her. His warm breath caressed her neck and the warmth of his hand on her arm reached her even through her shirt.

"What's wrong", she whispered as silently into his ear as he would barely be able to hear her, she was certain of that.

"There was a shadow", he said, his breath caressing her ear before leaned back to look into her eyes, but he was still too close to her as grinned, "seems like I've been mistaken, Love."

"In that case you could step back and leave me some space to breathe again", she said and shoved him away further.

"There might come a time when you'd rather have someone close to you than to breathe, Love", he said smiling at her, but it didn't reach his eyes, as he stepped back and fulfilled her wish.

As the cold air reached her body where his had warmed her before, she felt disappointment sneaking into her mind and soul. She didn't like that at all and tried her best to hide it from him. There was no way he should ever notice that was already feeling something that was influencing her enough to make her think like that. She didn't even want to admit it to herself.

It was like she was parted in two. One half of her was happy every time he decided to pay attention to her and care for her. That half became nervous when he left her alone and couldn't stop smiling when he came way too close. It was the part of her that could never get enough of the warmth of his touch, enjoyed the sensation of his breath in her neck and had those stupid nightmares that kept her up at night.

The other half of her wanted to be independent of him, followed her goals without caring about anything else and just couldn't trust him. It was the part of her that kept pushing him away and protected her with all she had. It was the part of her she identified the most with. It was the part that kept fighting the other half of her until it felt like both parts of her were rolling across the ground scratching and biting each other like animals.

"Let me guess, that someone is supposed to be you", she said in an attempt to be tough and following her skeptical side.

Hook grinned and this time it reached his eyes as he came closer again, "was that an offer?"

"Seriously", she said sarcastically and tried to fight down the part of her that was happy to get closer to him again, "you should know me better by now, don't you think?"

Hook sighed and stepped closer, caressing her left arm with his hand and watching it almost dreamy, "well, one can hope."

She ignored the strange sensation he caused with his hand, "did you really believe there was something or was that just another try to invade my personal space?"

"Your what", he joked and finally looked into her eyes again, when he became serious, "I really believed there to be someone."

"Well, that starts great", Emma said sarcastically and freed her left arm of his touch like it was the most natural thing to do, "if you're scared that easily we won't make it even near that bloody castle."

"I wasn't scared", he clarified pushing himself up with his hook at the tree trunk right beside her head, "I'm just careful. We don't need to be found."

Emma looked at him for a long moment, debating with herself if this double meaning in his words was real, just her imagination or another one of his jokes to distract her. She decided it wasn't important enough to think about it and changed the subject, "are you still as confident about her?"

He grinned and placed his right hand to the other side of her head, so she felt like in a cage again, and leaned closer to her. He seemed to be more than comfortable like this, while she wasn't as certain about it, "when this is over, we really need to talk about your trust issues, Love."

"My what", she asked in disbelieve forgetting about her prior thoughts and confusions. How could he call a healthy ability of being careful to be trust issues? There was nothing wrong with being careful. It had saved her life many times ever since she had been imprisoned with eighteen. Back then it would have been a lot better, if she would have been as suspicious as she was now.

"You do not really want to deny it now, do you", he asked amused but more seriously and raised an eyebrow, "but maybe I should not complain as long your distrust is not directed at me." He grinned again, "don't tell me you're worried for me, Love." His eyes wandered to her mouth and her lips turned hot, "not that I'd have a problem with that, you kn-"

All of a sudden she grabbed his vest, slightly scratching his chest, and pulled him closer as roughly that he crashed into her. They were standing chest to chest and he needed a moment to understand what had just happened, while Emma tried her best to ignore the scent of rum, leather and him in addition to the warmth of his body.

"Not so stormy, L-", he started to say more amused than before, when he finally found back his voice. But she cut him off, by placing her hand above his mouth and looked to the left just when the strange sound she had noticed just seconds before reached her ears once more. It was a tinny and rattling sound that reminded her of soldiers as it got closer and louder than before.

As the light of a lantern reached their few, Hook pulled her hand from his mouth. They exchanged a short worried glance, before he placed his right hand on her waist and pulled her along to the side, away from the light and the soldiers, who were getting closer. They circled the tree in silence just as fast as the soldiers did so they wouldn't see them.

The tree in her back hurt her as she shoved across its hard bark, but she couldn't get more distance to it, since Hook was so close to her. He pressed himself up to her until she could feel every movement of his chest as he breathed in and out. He was shielding her from anyone's few completely like this and tried to achieve the same for himself.

She could feel his whole body: the movements of his chest against hers, as he was breathing, one of his legs almost getting between hers, his hand on her hip, his beard stubbles slightly scratching her right cheek and if she wasn't mistaken even his flask of rum stinging to her stomach, while his hook was wound around her right wrist. She could smell the man he was combined with a scent of rum and sea if that was even possible. Nevertheless she tried to ignore it as badly as she could. She had smelled those things before, hadn't she?

But he had never been as close to her when she had, the small voice in her back reminded her unnecessarily. As she felt the beard stubbles she had to think of her dream again inevitably. This was far too close to it.

Before he could notice her confusion, she turned her face away from him and focused on the light of the soldier's lantern. It was still getting closer to them, they weren't safe yet. But maybe something like being safe was impossible on this island. Or even as long as she would be with Hook.

As she felt his breath in her neck she realized there were two different kinds of being in danger. She knew which one she would prefer.

Emma tried to free her right hand and reached for a knife sticking in the back of her pants, when he suddenly moved up his hand to her shoulder and to her cheek to turn her face around to him again. He shook his head deciding showing her that she shouldn't do that, as if he had guessed her intentions.

They stood there starring into each other's eyes, while the soldiers walked up to the cliff leaving them and the tree behind for a moment, but they didn't even notice it. They were too invested in their wordless conversation they shared through their eyes.

She had never experienced something like that before, but when he looked at her, the way he looked at her, she felt like she could actually understand what he was trying to tell her.

He didn't say out loud, "don't do this."

While she didn't answer him, "why not? Do you want to stay here for the rest of the night?"

His expression changed and she looked away before he could start to imagine all the things they could do in a whole night. She didn't want to even think about it not to mention to see the images of his fatal imagination.

When she didn't look back to him again, he gently pulled her chin back into his direction and raised an eyebrow, asking her, if she'd agree not to harm the soldiers.

She sighed and pulled her hand back from the knife. She placed it on the bark of the tree instead, so she wouldn't need to touch him again. He understood that she yielded, even though she shot him a glance that should convince him that she wouldn't do that every time now.

And then there was something in his eyes that confused her. She had never heard him say it out loud so she wasn't even certain that it really was what he was telling her now. But if it wasn't just her imagination than he was saying, "thank you."

She stared at him in shock not just because of his gratitude, if she was right about it, but because of the sincerity in his eyes. She felt like he had frozen her with those two simple words and for a moment she forgot about everything. She didn't think about where they were and who they were about to face according to their plan and even the two parts of her had stopped fighting and stared at him. The beasts had vanished and the two parts of her slowly turned into one person. She felt whole and healthy and for the first time in a very long time, she just got lost in the situation.

They stared into each other's eyes like they were drowning. She felt the warmth of his breath at her lips, while his thumb caressed her cheek absentmindedly, where his hand was still lying. It was a very gently touch and combined with the way he was looking at her, she felt as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him in this moment. The impish expression that was usually part of his glance disappeared and there was only a dreamy seriousness left that increased the tension between them as his eyes wandered to her lips, which seemed to burn underneath his eyes.

The tinny rattling of the soldiers' armors slapped her back to reality and she turned her face out of his palm to check out the light of their lantern. They were leaving the way they had come before as it seemed.

Hook's hand dropped to her shoulder and he pulled her back the way they had avoided those men before. But this time he placed his hand between the hard bark and her back as he shoved her along. Through that they were closer again but when the soldiers finally disappeared, he stepped back and released her.

Emma dared to take a short glimpse at him and noticed that he didn't just avoid looking at her but had a confused expression. She ignored the cold suddenly slamming into her now that his body wasn't keeping her warm anymore and decided to do something about the awkward atmosphere that was floating between them all of a sudden.

"Are you still certain she didn't betray you", she asked without looking at him and stared after the soldiers instead.

Hook sighed heavily and scratched his neck, "let's just hope you're wrong."

Emma looked at him in surprise, since she hadn't expected him to admit anything of it, "well, no matter for what reason she is late, we shouldn't stick around here like this any longer."

Hook nodded and pointed at the oak tree, "let's get up there. If she finally helps us, we can see her and if not, we won't be noticed as easily as down here."

They climbed up the tree leaving as much space to each other as possible and waited, while they looked at the dim lights of the castle in the distance, which they could see through the branches. It felt like a whole hour had passed which usually meant it had just been half an hour, when they finally heard the tinny and rattling sound of armors again. They looked down hoping the soldiers wouldn't look up to them and notice them, when they noticed that their lantern was dark.

One stopped right underneath their tree, sat down and leaned back at the tree trunk, while the other one seemed to simply stumble over his own feet and fell on his face without even trying to catch himself before he'd hit the ground with his nose first.

Hook and Emma exchanged a surprised glance before they noticed that neither of them seemed to be alive at all.

"Looks like she has kept her word", Hook finally said and jumped off the tree, "now everything works according to plan again"

* * *

She was pretty nervous and tried to ignore her sweaty hands. It hadn't been as easy as she had believed it to be when she had created the armors. To send them to Hook and his partner and create the illusion of someone wearing them without being able to see what she actually was doing, had taken her longer than she had expected, but she believed it had been worth her efforts.

Once again she had noticed how conceited her mother was. She hadn't even placed a protection spell around the island. It was like a slap in her face, just like Cora was telling her, that she wasn't even worried she could attack her. Well, bad for her mother, but good for their plan.

Regina turned her back on the mirror through which she had watched Robin leaving her castle. He had taken one of the horses in her stables. She had wanted to make certain, he would be far away enough to be safe from her mother, but seeing him leave had hurt her more than she would have expected it.

But what had she expected? He was already important enough to her, to send him away with the excuse to protect her heart, so he definitely had to mean something to her. She hadn't wanted him to become another victim of her mother just like Daniel in the past. She had thought of poor Roland and the imagination of him being an orphan because his father died helping her fighting against her mother had been unbearable. Sure, it could be helpful to have him protect her heart, especially since her mother would never know where it is, but it had only been an excuse to get him away from here, since her mother wouldn't want to use her heart against her. At least she had never done in the past.

Regina sighed and walked up to the prepared mirror, whishing Robin would be with her. She fought it down and concentrated on her task. This wouldn't work as easily as she whished. Cora wasn't stupid. She might recognize the mirror, especially since it had been her undoing in the Enchanted Forest once. She would definitely know what she was up to the moment she would see it. No, if she really wanted to get rid of her mother, she would have to fight her and in the worst case scenario she would need to take her with her through the mirror.

She sighed.

She didn't want to think of that. It was hurting to much to imagine she would never see Henry again….and Robin.

At least she didn't need to worry about getting Cora here. Since she was the one who had cast the Dark Curse, that had failed, she might be the person involved in this the most, which meant the curse on Cora's name should cause her whole castle to shake if not the entire island where it's placed as soon as she'd say it.

She took a deep breath and turned her hands into fists just like it would encourage her and give her strength, "Cora."

A purple cloud appeared right between the mirror and her the moment she closed her mouth. The mirror almost shone through the smoke until it became to dark and thick.

The witch-fight could begin.

She was ready.

* * *

"Wait", Hook said and held out an arm to stop her, "the barrier is still there."

She stopped and sighed. They had noticed the bloody barrier just because a mouse had run into it afraid of the noise they had made as they had approached the castle. They had been luckier than it. It had saved their lives, because if it wouldn't have been fried by the barrier, they would have died instead.

"Great", she said angrily and shook her arm, which wasn't as easy in this armor as without it. It pinched into her skin if she made a wrong movement and it was quite heavy. She was certain, if they'd made it out of here alive, she wouldn't be able to move for at least a week, which was disappointing since it had taken her so long to even put it on. Hook had had to help her, before he had put it on like it was the easiest thing to do. She had almost envied him for it until she had noticed that it wouldn't be as great to wear this metal box as she had believed it to be. At least they had dispensed with the chain mail.

Alarmed through the sound of the armor caused by shaking her arm, Hook turned around to glare at her, "what are you doing?"

"The bracelet. It feels like I'm loosing it", she said annoyed and looked at her right hand. They both knew it couldn't slip off, since she was wearing gloves, but still it could distract her too much to concentrate on their task.

Without saying anything he reached for her arm and pulled off her glove, "tell me, when it's enough."

She frowned as he squeezed the bracelet tighter around her wrist. For a little moment it glowed, enlightening his face. His expression was quite serious and it seemed he was concentrating on his task more than necessary. He wasn't breaking a lock or something but just squeezing the bracelet. She held back a sigh. When he had helped her to put on that armor it had been the same. It felt like he had pulled up a wall between them and because she had done the same she hadn't noticed it before as much as she was aware of it now.

As he finally let go of her wrist, the glowing stopped and the bracelet stayed in place on her wrist, "better?"

"Yes", she looked up from it and accidentally met his eyes, what they both had been avoiding for quite a while now. He seemed just as surprised as her, but after a moment he was all the charming pirate again, blinking and smiling at her, before he turned back to the castle. It was all fake and he knew that she knew it.

Maybe they should have just kissed. Was this weird what-if-situation worse than it could have been if they had kissed? She just couldn't stop wondering about it. What would it have felt like? Would it have been as good as she could imagine it to be? What was she even thinking?

She decided to simply banish those thoughts deep into her soul. This wasn't the place and time to think about something like that. To be honest, it might never be the right time to do it.

"What now", she asked and her voice was barely more than a breath, "is Regina certain this barrier will disappear as soon as she leaves?"

"No", he said darkly and looked at her again, but this time there was nothing of the awkwardness in his gaze as it had been before, "she didn't even know about it. Regina just said it could be possible there was something like this, but she believed it to protect the entire island and not just the castle. If it doesn't vanish, we'll have to find another way inside, I'm afraid."

Emma took a look around until she noticed another soldier heading to the castle. He was as far away from them that she could barely hear the sound of his armor. She pushed Hook into the side and followed the stranger as silently as possible with this stupid armor. A tinny and rattling sound behind her, informed her that Hook was following her.

They stopped behind a corner and watched the soldier passing easily through the barrier like there was nothing at all. Just a dark shine on his armor revealed a hint on the invisible wall surrounding the castle.

Emma didn't wait any longer. She walked up to the barrier ignoring the scream in the back of her mind, that perfectly remembered what had happened to the mouse before and Hook's gasp from behind her, as he realized what she was about to do and prayed to god the disguise through her armor, which was identically to the one of the soldier, would be enough to get her through alive. That was just if she wasn't mistaken of course.

She believed the armor was the key to get through. How else should her soldiers be able to walk in and out as easily as the one they had just seen had done it? There was only one thing all of them had in common and that was their armor.

She folded down her helmet visor and made sure her skin wasn't exposed even a tiny bit, before she took a deep breath and made a step forward.

It felt like she was frozen. The air around her seemed to hold her captured and was filled with electricity that ran up and down her armor. The air became thinner and thinner until she had to keep the last bit of her breath hoping it would help her to get out of here alive again. She didn't want to suffocate and yet she seemed to be more than close to it. But it worked. After another second she could just move forward and was inside the barrier.

Emma turned around to look at Hook, proud of what she had just achieved, as she noticed that he was standing on the other side, yelling and scolding her for her insane and risky decision. He was even moving his hands and walked up and down along the barrier without touching it. But no matter how loud he yelled and scolded her, she couldn't hear anything of it. Hoping he would understand her, she shook her head, pointed at her ears and shrugged.

As soon as he finally noticed her reaction he stopped yelling, frowned and they had another of their wordless conversations just by looking into each other's eyes. Now she was actually happy for the barrier between them, since it made their discussion less dangerous and confusing.

He didn't yell, "are you nuts to just walk through that? It could have fried you."

"But it didn't", she didn't answer and rolled her eyes a little annoyed that he was treating her like a little kid, "would you come now?"

He broke their eye-contact to look at the barrier between them again, before he met her eyes and asked through moving his lips and his arms, "can you even come back through?"

Good question.

Emma folded her visor back down and held her breath when she made her first step through it again. It didn't feel as strange anymore. Maybe because she could just walk through it like there was nothing and wasn't stopped unlike before.

She realized the reason she had been stopped before was that she had breathed. Her breathing had been the reason that she had been frozen in the barrier.

"Are you insane", was the fist thing she heard as she left it behind. Just a moment later he seemed to be less upset with her, as he placed his hands on her armor where her shoulders were and looked deep into her eyes, "you could have died."

"We had to check it", Emma defended herself immediately and shook off his hands. She wasn't used to someone worrying about her no matter for what reason, "now would you just come? We can't stay around here forever, you know?"

"You're right", he growled still angry with her, "she could be back soon."

"If she's even gone", Emma mumbled.

He sighed annoyed and folded down his helm visor just like her. She reached for his hook to pull him along and to cover it in her grip as good as possible since she had no idea how this barrier would react to it, "keep your breath."

They easily walked through it even though the barrier warmed her hand around his hook strangely. Before she could even take a look around he already pulled her along inside the castle and up some stairs without saying a single word.

"How do you even know where we need to go", she whispered and the helm visor turned her voice into something tinny as well.

"Regina told me."

"And where are we going?"

He pulled her around another corner and stopped to lift his visor to take a deep breath, "we're heading to the dungeon."

Emma frowned and lifted hers as well, "I don't know. Would you keep a little boy in a dungeon?"

"He is her prisoner", he said like it explained everything.

"But a prisoner who is important to her daughter."

"A daughter who she was trouble with", he pointed out and watched her carefully.

"A daughter who she wanted to get back as badly as she is hunting you down now, because she blames you for getting in the way. And the boy is no opponent to her."

"Sure", he said slowly and waited for her to continue.

She did, "and she might want to keep an eye on him. Do you really think she would want to spend her time in a dungeon?"

Hook looked down the hall and sighed, "point taken. But she wouldn't need to be down in the dungeon to watch him. Come on." He pulled her up the stairs and right into a great hall.

Emma had no idea what she had expected but she was surprised to see an open and colorful room like this. Everywhere were plants and flowers and right above them was a huge white balcony that lead further into the castle. Hook didn't waist time to look around but pulled her up the stairs to the balcony and into another hall. There were doors leading into rooms to both sides of them now. He finally stopped, "what do you think?"

"I don't know", Emma answered hesitating and took a look around. The hall seemed to be endless and just as much doors had to be there. They could hardly have enough time to check all of them.

"Where would you hide him", he asked impatient.

"Why do you ask me", she said trying to ignore his intense stare.

"Because it was your idea."

"I don't know", she stuttered while her thoughts were running wild, "somewhere near her own room so she can keep an eye on him without problems? Or maybe in Regina's old room, because of the symbolism? You know, the boy who brings back her daughter stays in her room?"

Hook grabbed her hand again and pulled her along without saying anything. They rushed down the hall away from the balcony just like they perfectly knew where to go, hid in several rooms or pulled down their helm visors to pretend to be guards when they noticed someone was approaching them and listened to the servants to find their way through the castle, until Hook stopped as suddenly as she almost stumbled into him. Their armors rattled loudly and the sound was echoing from the bare walls growing to a hurting noise. They stopped to move until the echo stopped and the castle became silent again.

"Her room should be near her mother's", Hook thought loudly, "she is a control freak which is why Regina wanted to get rid of her."

"How do you know that?"

"I've spent time with both of them, remember", he grinned evilly and opened the door in front of them, "not that room."

"Do you want to check every room here?"

"I've a feeling we had this conversation before."

"We did", Emma stated, "we could listen to the servants."

"I'm afraid we've met all she's got here", Hook pointed out.

"But there must be another way to find those rooms."

Hook looked at her through narrowed eyes, "what is your idea?"

She swallowed hard. Actually it wasn't an idea. It was a feeling that was drawing her into a specific direction, but he wouldn't want to hear that, would he?

Suddenly the whole castle began to shake and a bright light that seemed to be caught in the floor rushed past them to one of the doors while Regina's voice echoed through the hall like it was pulled by that light, "Cora."

They stared at each other before they sneaked into the empty room Hook had just checked without saying anything and waited. The castle kept shaking and a door at the end of the hall opened, before it fell shut loudly again. Someone passed their door and all lights turned dark. The castle stopped trembling and they exchanged a look before they stood up, took a peek outside and left the room again, as they were certain to be alone.

"What was that", Emma whispered and walked down the hall the captain right on her heels. She had decided to follow the way the light had taken just earlier.

"I guess it was her curse", he answered without whispering and reached her just as she wanted to open the door where the light had vanished before. He opened it for her and let her take the lead.

She entered the room and stopped. There was no trace of a boy, but this definitely was a bedroom where someone had just been spending his time in. The room was as huge as a poor fisherman's whole house. At the wall to their left was standing a huge bed. According to the rumpled blanket and the position of the pillows someone had been sleeping in it. Emma walked up to it and checked the mattress, as soon as she was sure that nobody was here. It was still warm so someone must have been sleeping in it just minutes ago.

Behind her back she heard Hook walking into the room. He rushed to a cupboard at the opposite wall right across the room. It was filled with small bottles and boxes. Above of it was hanging a huge mirror. It reflected his face as he stopped in front of it to search through all the elixirs and powders.

Noticing a shelf beside the very same door they had just entered the room through, she turned away from him and walked up to it. It was filled with lots of different things that didn't seem to belong together at all. There were bottles with hair or other liquids that reminded her strangely of blood and hair brushes, broken mirrors, destroyed pictures and a knife that was familiar to her somehow, but she just couldn't recall how or why.

Right the moment she reached out for it, Hook suddenly was beside her and stopped her, "don't."

"What is this?"

"Trophies I'd say", he answered darkly, "she must have started to collect them from her victims one day. Don't touch them."

Emma looked at him and frowned, "why not?"

"We don't know how she got them or how important they are to her, so you can't know if something might happen to you, if you touch them", he took her hand and pulled her past the golden door, "you never know what a witch does with those things, believe me. Let's leave. He's not here."

"Wait", she stopped and pointed back at the door, "he could be in there."

He glanced at it shortly and shoved something into his pocket, "no, Love. If he's in there we won't have a chance to safe him anymore."

"Why?"

"In there are the hearts she's collected", he simply answered and pulled her back to the door, "we can't get in there without her noticing it and it would be pointless anyway. We could never find out, which heart is his, if she's really put it in there."

They stopped in front of the door and exchanged a short glance. The hall was leading to the right now and again there were doors to both sides of it.

"You take the ones over there", he commanded, "just look inside. Don't enter them or touch anything. If the boy isn't in there, move on. We don't have much time left."

"Alright."

* * *

The smoke vanished again and revealed a person standing in its center. It was a small figure standing with its back to her. But it wasn't her mother.

"What are you doing here", Regina asked confused and surprised for a second before her voice changed. She was alarmed, "where is my mother?"

The person in front of her slowly turned around, but she didn't need to see his face to know who he was. He was dressed in a yellow cloak, that was of strange fabric and his brown hair reached his shoulders, looking like he hadn't combed it at all. His skin looked like it was of leather just like a crocodile's and his smile made her angry.

"Ooops, I guess I took a wrong way", he joked.

She rolled her eyes and waited for his answer.

"Oh dearie", Rumpelstiltskin said slowly turning to face her and obviously enjoying the situation badly, "you've still got a lot to learn."

"Where is she", she repeated demanding and walked up to him, "why are you here?"

Rumpelstiltskin giggled and his skin shimmered strangely with every movement of his body, "she's not here."

"Obviously", she was annoyed now, "but where is she?"

"At home", he turned around to look at the mirror standing behind him once again as he said almost absentmindedly, "a cruel destiny you've chosen for your mother, dearie."

"Cora", Regina yelled again and looked up to the ceiling just like she was expecting her mother to fall right through it. This time she had put magic in her voice so her mother would definitely hear her, "it's not cruel. She'll be alive and she'll be able to live a normal life."

"Well, you can shout as much as you want", he stated ignoring her last sentence, "she won't come. She is too busy killing Hook. I almost envy her for that."

Regina's face turned pale.

"Don't worry. The boy is not with her", he said before he said almost absentmindedly, "why do our children always believe to know what's best for us?"

"What", she asked confused, as she carefully walked up to him trying to keep her distance to the mirror anyway. She was still confused of how things had turned out to be. She had been ready to fight her mother but not Rumpelstiltskin who hadn't been too kind those past twenty-seven years. Strangely he had been quite upset with her when the curse hadn't worked out the way she had wanted it to.

That he was here of all places now made everything worse. There was something he definitely didn't need to find out and if he would it could mean her death, if he would really try to take revenge on her. She wasn't ready to fight him now and she definitely didn't want to take the risk to end up in the mirror without or even instead of her mother.

"This world would be punishment for her, nothing else", he pointed out darkly before he suddenly turned around to look at her enthusiastically, "it's exactly what we need."

"What?"

"As much as I'd love to have her kill that damn pirate we can't allow her to kill the lass he is traveling with."

Regina frowned confused. She couldn't understand any of this. First he had a total switch in mood and maybe even in opinion within seconds and then he actually cared for the pirate who wanted to kill him as badly as he was willing to risk his own life for it. Rumpelstiltskin had always been following his own plans and she had never been able to understand them, but this time it was as obviously as it was strange even for him, "why?"

She didn't care about anything but Henry, so why should she want to protect at stranger like that miraculous woman everyone kept talking about. She had to be that strange partner Hook had been talking about, so it was thanks to her, that he had come up with a payment like Belle. All in all she had no reason to help her to survive.

Rumpelstiltskin suddenly was behind her while his laughter filled the room. It was more sarcastically than ever before and when she turned around to him, he was as close to her as his nose almost touched hers. His skin looked more like a crocodile's than ever.

"Remember what I told you twenty-seven years ago?"

Her heart skipped a beat and her face turned pale. How could she ever forget about that? It was the reason she was so vulnerable. It was one more reason she wanted to find Henry so baldy.

She remembered it like it had been yesterday. She had just destroyed all of her mirrors in one huge wave of power as she had noticed that her curse hadn't played out as she had wanted it to. To let out her anger and pain she had started to throw things at the walls. Everything, which was in her reach, had flown through the room and had burst at the walls.

She had given everything for that curse for her vengeance and in the end she had just lost everything that had been left for her. Bloody hell, she had killed her own father to achieve it, to finally be free and happy. She had wasted his life for nothing. Instead she'd gotten her mother back and now she'd be more prisoner than she'd been in years if she wouldn't be careful enough.

"Oh, dearie", Rumpelstiltskin had said from the shadows all of a sudden. His voice had been free of nay humor and his eyes had almost been shining through the dark surrounding him like the ones of the Cheshire Cat in Wonderland.

She had known that she was in trouble as soon as she had heard his voice, but there hadn't been left anything to do in an attempt to protect herself. And she hadn't wanted to. To die through his hands would have been better than living with this guilt and shame. She hadn't wanted to live a life with enemies to all sides of her realm. She hadn't wanted to live watching Snow White and her happily ever after while she was still suffering, even though it would be darkened by her dead daughter. And maybe even as importantly she hadn't wanted to live and to fight her mother.

With one strike he had thrown her through the room, her head hitting the ground and the wall violently. Her vision had been blurred as he had appeared right in front of her face.

"It was such an easy task", he had whispered pulling her up the wall magically, "and you screwed up."

"Do you want me to apologize now", she had almost spat into his face trying to anger him even more so her death would be fast and definite.  
But he had looked right through her intentions, "no. You will regret it even more than that."

He had stepped back and had started to giggle again while she had fallen to the ground like he had forgotten to keep her up, "oh yes, dearie."

Regina had looked up to him in confusion and disappointed. Rumpelstiltskin always knew everything about the past, the present and even about the future. It had been strange he hadn't known that their plan would fail and it had been frightening to hear him talk like that.

She was disappointed since he obviously had changed his mind and wouldn't do her the favor to kill her and she was scared of what he might have seen that she hadn't noticed.

Just like he had read her mind he had muttered to himself, "I have been blinded by the future I've wanted to happen so I hadn't noticed it had already changed."

Regina had slowly stood up again never leaving him out of sight even though she'd known it would be pointless if he'd decide to attack her again.

When he had turned around again he'd suddenly been very close to her, laughing like he was insane. She had never seen him move like that before. It had been a freaking nightmare.

"You cursed us."

"No, I didn't. It didn't work", she had corrected him angrily.

He had started to giggle again using his hands to underline his words with strange gestures like he had done it back in his best days, "you have. And in twenty-eight years the Enchanted Forest will implode if you won't find the queen's daughter and take her back to a huge family reunion, dearie."

Even though she should have been scared to hear this, she had been relieved as the meaning of his words had reached her completely. She'd only have to endure twenty-eight years more and then she'd be free. And in the meantime she'd be able to watch Snow White grieving her lost child.

"She is dead", she had told him icily just like she had lied to him about Belle's death before and she had been able to enjoy it.

His eyes had started to glow as he had vanished leaving only his giggle behind, "really?"

Regina how insecure this one word had made her. She had started to search for evidence. She had ordered Graham to take the child and kill it so her curse would have never been broken and he had convinced her that he had been successful, what had been the reason to give him his heart back and set him free.

"You've been too blind back then", Rumpelstiltskin said laughing and brought her back to the presence, "you haven't noticed that I fooled you."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't need you to end your vengeance on that child."

She would never tell him but she was thankful for that. In the past twenty-seven years she had found reasons to live. Some of them she had discovered just recently. The world couldn't just end now. There had to be a future for everyone.

"What now", she asked worried and sensing that he already had a plan.

"I'll get the mirror to your mother's place but you'll have to fight her on your own."

"Don't you think that's a little unfair?"

"It isn't as easy to get that thing through her barrier as you believe it to be. Besides that, you messed up by bringing her back, you need to clean it up now", he bowed down in front of her as the mirror vanished in a dark cloud, "but that won't be easy. She already knows that trick."

And he vanished again.

* * *

"You're right", a woman stated right behind them, "or at least almost."

They turned on their heels and stared at her in disbelieve. They hadn't noticed her at all.

Emma studied her appearance. She was a woman in her forties, her red hair were bound up in a strict style and she was dressed in a dark and quite old fashioned gown that reached over her feet. On her lips she wore a smile but her eyes stayed cold. She had folded her hands in front of her stomach and was looking like she couldn't harm anyone. Emma didn't believe her for even one second. Her whole expression seemed to yell "lie" at her.

Hook stared at her for a long moment and it was hard to understand what was going on in his mind before he turned into the most charming and false version of himself Emma had ever seen, "Cora. Long time no see."

"How did you get in here", she asked barely noticing their armors. While her smile grew wider and seemed even more faked than before her eyes turned even darker, "I didn't notice you were coming at all, Captain. Or I would have prepared something for you."

Emma realized she wasn't referring to their armors and the barrier they had passed to get inside the castle but to the bracelets that had covered their appearance on the island in the first place.

"There is no need for that", he said like they were two people knowing each other for a long time on the street, not noticing or not caring for the thread in each other's words, "we just wanted to pick up the boy and leave."

Emma frowned. Why would he mention Prince Henry now? Hadn't the reason for this deal with Regina been that Cora shouldn't know about the missing prince? Hadn't it been about checking on her in secret without her finding out about any of this? It seemed so out of place that it confused even Cora for a second, "what boy? Here is no boy unless you brought him with you."

Emma stared at her, realizing what this really had been about. Hook had mentioned Henry because he had wanted to make use of her skills of distinguishing the truth from lies. He had broken that part of his deal with Regina on purpose.

Her gaze wandered to Emma, noticing her stare and again it seemed like she could look straight through her armor, "but I see. You've brought me a present."

"What", Hook asked surprised and looked at Emma shortly, before he reached for her arm and pulled her away from the witch, "actually we were just about to leave."

Cora's attention turned back to him as she said in the most flirtingly and dangerous voice, "oh my dear Captain, I highly doubt that."

And with one movement of her arm they crushed through the door behind their backs and hit hard on the floor their armors making tinny noise that rang in their ears. Hook was the first who got back to his feet and pulled her up while Cora send the rest of the broken door flying at them in small but hurting splinters. Emma drew her sword as soon as she was back on her feet, but Hook pulled her to the side, "that won't work."

They ran up to the golden door Emma had noticed before while Cora entered the room and send a fireball at them. Out of reflex Emma held up her sword and the fireball burst at it just like she had cut it in half. The remains of the fireball started to burn the furniture around them.

Emma had taken a step back in surprise, starring at the blade in her hand and had hit the shelf beside her, so it started to shake and fell into the flames that increased.

"What was that", Hook asked and opened the door to pull her inside while Cora send another fireball that burst at her blade as well.

"I have no idea."

"You don't even know who you've got with you, Hook", Cora chuckled evilly as she followed them inside, "but if you leave her to me I could accept your debt as paid."

"What is she talking about", Emma asked as she helped him to close the heavy door. It turned freaking hot. Cora must have thrown another fireball.

"She wants to keep you", he explained shortly and pulled her further through the room that automatically lit up with every step they took inside, "but I can't allow that."

"How honorable", she said sarcastically as the door flew open behind them, "you know she is just playing with us?"

She had no idea why he would believe Cora would want her. She had no idea what could be so interesting about her, but she knew that there was no reason the witch shouldn't be able to just kill them with one strike and yet she still hunted them like this.

Hook sighed as they passed armors standing to both sides of them and ran down a couple of stairs that seemed to screw themselves into the ground. The tinny rattling of their armors echoed loudly from the walls and turned louder with every step they took.

"Oh no, she didn't", Hook grunted and pulled her further without answering her question from before.

"Didn't do what?"

"The armors, Love", was everything he said, "let's hope we can find a way outside."

"Wait, you don't even know where we're going", she stopped on the stairs and looked at him in confusion. But the tinny rattling didn't stop even though they weren't moving for a moment. Now she understood what he had been talking about just seconds ago. The witch had sent the armors after them that had been standing to both sides of their way.

"Don't stop", he yelled and pulled her further. There was no need to pull her anymore. She wanted to escape badly now just like him. But one thing was worrying her. If those armors were supposed to hunt them down then where was Cora?

"I do know where we're going", he continued their conversation from before, "it's exactly where she wants me to be. I just don't know if we can escape from there."

"That is your plan", Emma yelled in disbelieve and a little scared now.

"Maybe it's not perfectly polished yet."

"What?"

"It's not like you left us much of another choice with burning her bedroom."

"If I wouldn't have done that you'd be fried like a fish on a stick by now", she defended herself as they ran right through a portal and stopped in front of a huge cupboard that needed a whole wall, "what is this?"

"That's where I keep my hearts, you foolish girl", Cora said from behind them before Hook could answer her.

She had suddenly appeared behind them and with one movement of her arm Hook crashed right into that cupboard that seemed to be quite hard. It didn't even shake as he crashed into it like a doll thrown by an annoyed kid. He wasn't unconscious but his head was bleeding and he couldn't stand up because it was aching so much.

"You should have handed her over to me, Captain. I would've spared at least your life", Cora said and walked up to Emma, who held up her sword to protect herself and maybe even Hook. But with a smile Cora came closer just like it meant nothing to her at all. A second later Emma perfectly understood why. The handle of her sword turned freaking hot and even though she was wearing gloves she couldn't keep holding on to it but had to let it fall to the ground. The handle was glowing red as the sword hit the cold floor with a clacking sound.

Emma stepped back to the cupboard to avoid Cora starring at her like a mouse trapped in a corner by a hungry cat. She winced as she noticed that the whole cupboard seemed to be pulsating in the rhythm of her own heart and she suddenly had to think of what Hook had told her about Rumpelstiltskin and Milah. So there were hearts in there? Suddenly she had the urge to bring as much space between herself and this disgusting furniture in her back as possible but Cora already was too close to her.

"That idiot of a pirate doesn't even know who he's brought me here", she chuckled and pushed Hook who had been about to stand up down again, before she studied Emma, "and it seems you don't even know it yourself. How refreshing."

Before Emma could even ask what Cora was talking about the cat decided to stop playing with the mouse and attacked her. She pushed her hand right into her chest to close it around her heart, "now let me take my vengeance on him."

Her heart was aching like hell as Cora held it in her hand even though it was till inside her chest. Emma stared at her in confusion. What was this vengeance for? Why should it be vengeance on Hook if she'd kill her?

Cora seemed to understand her questions. She leaned closer to her to whisper into her right ear, "he took away my chance to get my daughter back. Now I'll take his to start a new life."

Behind her back Emma could see Hook looking up to them. His eyes widened, as Cora whispered, "love is weakness, my dear."

The witch started to pull but something didn't work the way she apparently had expected it to. Emma barely noticed that just like the worried and shocked expression in Hook's face as he trembled back to his feet and stared at her. Hook who had watched the woman he had loved die the way she would now. Her own words echoed in her ears, "so everything is about revenge?"

"I'd say it's about love", he had answered her back then.

And all the people fighting against Blackbeard side by side with Graham and her to protect their children and their husbands and wives, along with sisters, grandparents and brothers appeared for her eyes. And Graham fighting to protect not just those people but her as well, dying in the process.

With every face that appeared in front of her inner eye her chest seemed to turn warmer and warmer. She barely noticed how Cora stared at first at her and then at her hand inside her chest in confusion because she couldn't reap out her heart no matter how hard she tried to. And that she did indeed, while Hook tried to move but was magically caught somehow.

Hook had been right. It wasn't about revenge. Everything was about love weather it was broken love, unreturned love or love to a friend, the family or what ever. So Cora had to be wrong. If everyone was fighting out of love and for it then it couldn't be weakness. Love was strength.

And with that last thought her chest suddenly was as hot as she couldn't bare it anymore and a bright light burst out of it like she had been holding it back burning inside of her this whole time. As it burst out Cora's grip around her heart broke and the witch went flying through the room until she crashed into the opposite wall and fell to the ground unconscious.

Emma stared at her and reached for her chest noticing that her harness was in her way. Her heart was beating like she had run for miles just seconds ago. She couldn't understand what had just happened but even though it had been good for her and she had done it herself she was scared of it.

Hook stared at her just like she kept staring at Cora lying on the floor. She could feel his stare just like she felt the steady beat of all the hearts inside that cupboard behind her back even through her armor. Disgusted she stepped forward to finally create space to it as Hook ran up to her, picked up her sword from the floor and pulled her along without saying anything.

* * *

Regina arrived right next to the mirror. She could almost feel its pull. Funny, she thought and cursed Rumpelstiltskin for it. He had placed it close enough to her that she could vanish inside of it herself if she wouldn't be careful. Maybe he had done it to warn her. After all she could be the one to end up in it herself, too.

She took a look around. This was her mother's bedroom and it was on fire. With one movement of her arm she turned it off and waited. So Hook had screwed up. She could only hope the savior would still be alive. Her mother was crazy enough to kill her even though she knew what would happen then.

A sound at the golden door in front of her caught her attention. Regina decided to place the mirror right in front of the door. She didn't want to get a chance to hesitate. Cora was her mother after all. She knew she'd hesitate if she'd have to stand up to her. And like this it might be a lot easier to catch her because Rumpelstiltskin had been right after all. Her mother already knew that trick.

The door opened and from behind the mirror Regina caught one last glimpse of her mother, before she used a spell to freeze her where she was, pushed the mirror forward and Cora was sucked inside of it. The mirror fell to the ground and it's glass spread across the whole floor turning as bright as she was blinded for a moment, before it became dark again as its power vanished.

She had won, but she didn't feel like that at all, which was more than strange. Maybe Robin had been right. Cora was her mother so it had had to have an effect on her in the end even after all those years of fighting each other and arguing.

Regina had to swallow hard. Even though she was glad she hadn't had to fight her she felt a deep loss. The last thing she had seen of her mother had been how she had stumbled out of the room holding on to her bleeding head and looking like a very old and exhausted woman.

She felt like her mother had just died and even though she wasn't dead it had to be like that now, because in the world without magic she would be out of reach for her forever.

Regina sighed and decided to search the whole castle herself now. Maybe she could find a trace of Henry now or even the boy himself. It was obvious that Hook had failed.

She wasn't certain yet if she wanted to find the pirate dead somewhere down those stairs or not. Right now it would be better for him, if she wouldn't find him, as much she knew. She was too vulnerable and labile to think about her reaction before she would react.


	9. The Plan

8\. The Plan

They had found a door that had lead into the dungeon. After that, their escape had been a little too easy. They had rushed through the corridors, had pulled down their helm visors and had almost jumped through the barrier they had passed with so much respect before.

After that they had searched a bush to hide at least for a second so they could take off their armors - it was much easier and faster to run without them - and had run back to the cliff, where they had entered the island.

Hook had not asked her about what had happened with even one word what she highly appreciated. She had no answer for it and everything Cora had said about her was nothing but confusing just like everything that had happened.

While Hook prepared the rope to climb back down the cliff without saying a single word, Emma turned to look at the castle in the distance once more. It was strange that the witch was not already here waiting for them or hunting them down. Had her strange reaction knocked her out as badly as she was still unconscious in the end? Why else wouldn't she be anywhere around after she wanted to get her so badly? Why else would she have allowed them to escape even out of the castle? Emma focused on it across the distance pushing away her worries. Had it been lighted before so it was dark as the night now.

"Hook", she said confused and kept staring at its dark frame in the distance, that lighted up brightly for a second.

He walked up to her and looked at it as well, before he took her hand and pulled her along, "let's go."

"What does that mean", Emma asked pointing at the castle as she followed him.

"I don't know", he sighed and helped her to climb over the edge, "but no matter what it is about it can't be good for us. Besides that, we haven't found Henry. I'm not so sure Regina will be satisfied. Stupid witches."

Emma climbed down the cliff a little further ignoring the cold and stopped so he could start to climb more easily, "he wasn't there. She didn't lie, you know. Prince Henry never has been here."

Hook sighed in relief and wrapped the rope around his hook so he would be able to climb down, "I was hoping you'd say that."

"So you had planned this?"

"I had to come up with something when she found us. By the way, where did you get that sword? It's quite useful."

"Graham gave it to me", she answered and avoided the rock they had passed on their way up before. She actually did not want to talk about it, but she was just too curious to stop herself, "what was Cora talking about when she said your debt would be paid if you'd leave me with her?"

"I already told you", Hook grunted as he had avoided the rock successfully himself. However, there was something final in his words, just as if he did not want to tell her what he knew.

"And you kept something to yourself", she stated deciding it would be fine for now as she stepped into their boat, finally wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, "I did notice your lie, too, you know?"

Hook reached for his own cloak and sighed, "let's talk about that when we're back on the Jolly, Love. I'm sick of this island", he stopped and frown, "what are you doing?"

Emma had sat down shoving her hand into her boot in addition to her leg to search around in it, "there is something stuck in it."

Hook sighed and reached for the paddles. When he looked up to her again, she had stopped in the middle of her movement just like she had finally found what was troubling her and stared at the planks of their boat for a short second before her hand started to move again.

"What's wrong", he asked as he had checked the spot she was starring at just to notice that everything was alright with it.

Emma did not answer. Actually, it was just as if she had not even heard him. She frowned and blinked but stayed focused on the very same spot as before. Was she worrying about Cora's words?

He let out a breath. He would bring them back on his own now. As long as she would be distracted like that, he could think of a way to tell her the truth without revealing a very particular part in the whole story, if there even was a way. But even though they had not achieved anything through this adventure, tonight he had a lot to think about. He had to revise his theory about Emma Swan now. If Cora hadn't been wrong about her and she usually was right about things like that, then his history had caught up to him the day he had heard about the bounty hunter beating up half of his crew and that would screw up all of his plans.

He looked at her again. She was still starring at that spot. Just what could she be thinking about? Was she worrying about the witch's words as well? Was this real? Was Cora really right about her? What should he tell her? How should he tell her who Cora believed her to be? What if the witch was wrong and he would confuse her too much? But Emma was a grown up woman. She would be able to handle this somehow. But just how was he supposed to tell her?

* * *

She was confused. The moment she had looked at her boot, everything had turned dark around her. There was no sound and if it wouldn't have been for the smell of the ocean, Hook's leather and the icy cold of the wind reaching through her cloak she would have believed to have switched places somehow.

She frowned and looked around but no matter how hard she tried, she could not see anything. Her body seemed to move constantly even though she was not doing anything except moving her hand that felt like it was still stuck in her boot.

"Hook", she asked into the darkness more than annoyed by now, "what the hell is going on here?"

He did not answer.

"Hook", she yelled just in case he had not heard her. Still nothing.

She thought of Cora and how easy they had gotten away from her. Maybe it had been too easy. Was she in trouble now? Had the witch done something to catch her in the end? Had she finally caught up to them as if they had expected her to the whole time?

She remembered how she had pushed her away and what it had felt like. She remembered what she had been feeling in that very moment. Maybe she could do the same now. Maybe she could use those strange powers of hers to push away the witch and the darkness she was caught in once more. Or just the dark?

If she would try, she might be able to activate those powers again somehow. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember what she had thought and how she had felt in that moment when the light had burst out of her and had pushed away the witch to the extent that she was actually feeling it.

"I wouldn't do that, dearie."

Emma opened her eyes in surprise but there was nobody there. At least she could not see anyone. The voice had not sound anything like Cora's if she was not mistaken. Was she becoming insane now? Was she hallucinating all this? Maybe that was Cora's doing.

The cold air cut into her skin and her body became wet even underneath her cloths. She pulled her cloak tighter or at least she hoped she was doing so and felt a little warmer.

"Who are you? Show yourself", she demanded and felt idiotic. What the hell was going on?

The voice giggled, but nobody showed up. Now she really was worried. She could not decide if she was insane and all this was just her mind playing around with her or if there really was someone fooling with her.

"Why shouldn't I do that", she asked referring to the voice's words wondering how it could have known her intentions at all.

The voice sighed. "Diaries", it said just as if she should already know the answer.

Emma rolled her eyes. She got enough of this stupid nickname. Her mind would never come up with something like that even if she was insane. She noticed something through the corner of her eyes and looked in the direction she had expected Hook to be when she had gotten stuck in this strange daydream.

But the pirate was not there. Instead of him, it was as if she was looking at an enlightened picture in front of her. The man was surrounded by light that reached to her boots. He was dressed in a yellow cloak, whose collar reached above the line of his chin, his brown hair reached his shoulders in small curves and he wore a bright smile on his lips that could not fool her for even a second. The most conspicuous thing about him was his skin that looked like leather and seemed to shimmer every now and then depending on his movements. His fingernails were long and seemed too different from those of ordinary people and his brown eyes were looking at her intense. He was sitting at the back of her boat, if she was still sitting in it at all, his legs stretched away so they reached under the plank she was sitting on and his hands were holding on to one of his knees.

She did not know what to think about this. He had appeared way too sudden and strangely beside her and his stare was sending goose bumps down her arms. His strange smile and his skin reminded her of a crocodile ready to snap for its foot.

Crocodile…

Hook! He had called Rumpelstiltskin a crocodile.

Emma opened her mouth in astonishment. Just what the hell was wrong with her? She had spent twenty-seven years without anybody caring for her at all. She had been a nobody to everyone and suddenly everyone seemed to be interested in her. And the worst was everyone with magical powers and evil seemed to be interested in her. First of all Nova. Fine she was a fairy and she only wanted to help her, so she did not really count. Besides that, she was not evil as far as she knew. Then the Evil Queen, which was more indirectly since her focus had been Hook, but it had involved her as well. Then Cora the evilest witch ever suddenly wanted her heart because she thought it to be so precious and now this. Would this ever stop? Why all of a sudden? She did not want this. Just why had she even agreed on working with Hook, instead of simply doing what she had always done?

Hook…

If this really was Rumpelstiltskin then where was he? Had something happened to him? Had the wizard hurt him? Had the Dark One killed him after all those years? If not then what was he here for?

"What are you doing here", she asked what seemed to amuse him more than anything for some reason. She could already imagine why. She had not asked him who he was and he was enjoying his fame. However, she did not have time for this.

"Well, you should be glad I'm here or nobody would stop you from heading into the wrong direction", he said without answering her question, while strangely using his hands to underline his words.

Emma did not dare to question this, since she had no idea where she was at all, but a little help would be just fine, "and what is the right direction?"

"Who knows", he said pretending not to know it and smiling brightly at her.

"Why did you stop me", Emma asked curious referring to his words from earlier. Maybe he would tell her something that would help her to get out of this strange place he had brought her to. Something he would not just tell her but something that she could notice in between his sentences and which could be of help for her.

"You still don't understand", he said almost disappointed just as if he had expected better from her. But why?

As he noticed her confused expression he sighed and started to talk again not without rolling his eyes, "you're still in that tiny boat, dearie. Unless you want to throw the captain in to the water and get rid of him, what I would highly appreciate, dearie, you really shouldn't do that."

"And how can I get out of here", she asked annoyed to hear that. If Hook really was that close to her then why didn't he notice anything? Why didn't he do anything like shaking her to wake her up or something like that?

Rumpelstiltskin smiled in a strange kind of way. She had never seen someone act like him before. He used his hands to underline his words if he was enjoying the situation, he almost never stopped smiling and his skin shimmered every now and then depending on the light hitting it. His words always seemed to have a double meaning the way he was saying them and it was hard to discover if he was telling the truth or just lying to her since his words were always filled with irony.

Now, he really seemed to enjoy the situation. He giggled even though he did not really seem to be amused, "that fool can't help you."

"Would you just stop reading my thoughts", she said annoyed.

He giggled once again, "how should I? We're in your head after all."

Emma starred at him in shock. Now that she thought about it, she could have come up with that answer herself. It perfectly made sense. She was still feeling her body and everything going on outside, she was still sitting in front of Hook if she could believe his words, but Hook did not seem to notice anything strange about her. She could not see anything… Maybe her eyes were shut and he believed her to be asleep?

The question was: how had she ended up like this? And why?

She looked at Rumpelstiltskin again already knowing he was the only person who could give her the answers she wanted right now, "what do you want from me?"

"Me? I already told you."

Lie.

He frowned, "that's interesting. How do you do that?"

"Don't waste my time", she almost growled, as she understood what he was referring to now. He was talking about her special ability to notice when someone was lying to her.

He sighed theatrically, "I just wanted to remind you that there might be a place you're needed more urgently than here."

"And where would that be?"

He grinned, "I think you already know."

Emma frowned. She had no idea what he was talking about. She had only one goal and that was to find Blackbeard to find out what had happened to Graham the night he had died. She wanted to know who had killed what she had had of a family so she would finally be able to make her peace with it one way or another.

"Family, huh", he asked amused. Did he know something? She had the strange feeling that he did. But there was no doubt he would not tell her. Moreover, she was not certain she would believe him if he did especially since it was so difficult to read in his words.

"How do I get out of here", Emma said angry now. She needed Hook's help and for that she needed to help Hook, ergo she needed to get out of here, which meant the wizard in front of her was just wasting her time.

"That fool doesn't need you", Rumpelstiltskin said in a sudden change of mood and stared her down, "this is not the route you should take."

"And what is the right one", she asked a second time now.

"You've already been there, but he took you away from it again", he was still quite annoyed. Nevertheless, Emma had no doubt that his anger had nothing to with her but with Hook. He had still a grudge against him just as the pirate still hated him.

His words were nothing but confusing. Was he referring to Blackbeard and how Hook had stopped her from getting on board of his ship or about Snow White's and Charming's castle from where they had escaped? Neither seemed to make sense and he could not be talking about Cora's castle, where she would have died if she would have stayed, or the Jolly Roger since they were already heading there.

"I am where I want to be."

"But you shouldn't be here", he said angry with her now. She had to admit it was impressive. His smile had vanished completely and his eyes were cold as ice. There was no doubt that he really was dangerous anymore if there ever had been any.

But there was something wrong with this whole situation. If he wanted her to be somewhere else so badly then why didn't he just force her? He radiated so much power that there was no doubt he would not be able to simply send her where he wanted her to be. Besides that he was supposed to be the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the entire Enchanted Forest after all. Why did he try to convince her when he could simply force her with one move of his hand?

"I really could force you", he said relaxing again now that he had noticed the huge respect she had for him and his powers. He seemed to be bathing in her thoughts that were not just showing off his fame but even some fear of his strength and his powers.

Emma starred at him for a long moment. The light surrounding him so she could see him was definitely coming from his cloak and even shined at his leathery skin that seemed to reflect it depending on his movements. It was creepy. She focused on it and tried not to think about anything but it. She tried to listen to her feelings and instincts without putting her thoughts into words, hoping he would not be able to spy on her as if he had done the whole time she had been stuck with him in her mind as he had told her. She did not want to give him the opportunity to use anything she thought against her.

Her instincts were telling her that he lied to her, "no. You can't or you would already have done it. The question's just: why not?"

Rumpelstiltskin put on a poker face but it was obvious he was angry anyway. He did not like what she had said so she had to be on to something.

"You should chose to get back on that path or I won't let you out of here anymore", he said as if he was explaining the most obvious to her even though he already seemed to know the mistake in his words. Maybe he just wanted to threaten her. But it did not really make sense to her that he would do it like that if he knew the mistake he was doing.

"If you try to extort me like that my decision won't be free. It won't be my own choice but your force", she pointed out anyway. Maybe he had counted on her not noticing it. Maybe he had tried to trick her into it. However, no matter what his reason was, she could not understand the force behind his whish to make her change her directions.

She was certain Blackbeard was not the reason behind this, but what particular reason could Rumpelstiltskin have to convince her to go back to the castle? What could be waiting there for her? Prince Henry could not be his reason since she was already searching for him with Hook. Or did he know about her deal with the pirate in particular?

"He doesn't need you."

Emma looked at him for a moment. He had read her thoughts again, "maybe I need him."

"He doesn't deserve you", he pointed out jokingly and the irony in these words was almost slapping her.

She decided to find out about what he knew, "we have a deal and I stay true to my word."

Rumpelstiltskin looked at her for a long moment before he avoided her trap, "don't you misunderstand here something?"

She frowned and thought about his words disappointed because he had not revealed what he knew about their deal. Instead, she was the one wondering about his words now. She could not oversee the irony behind that just like she could not understand what he was talking about now, "and what would that be?"

"He doesn't need your help. The deal is pointless, dearie."

"I think you're misunderstanding something", she didn't have the strength to say her name even though she believed he misunderstood her situation with what things had been like with Milah back then. At least he was judging her decision and Hook through glasses that were darkened by what had happened to her. As much they both had in common.

"I could just kill him", he said dangerously.

Yes, she thought, the question was just why he had not already done it in all those years that had passed ever since he had killed Milah and spared Hook to hurt him for the rest of his life. Emma watched him carefully. Maybe he had believed Hook would suffer for the rest of his life but had not expected it to be possible that he would survive that long.

"But if you would, you'd only do that to force me to do what you want", she stated, "and we both know I need to decide to do it out of my free will. You hinted that yourself."

He growled and vanished. For a now, she had won but there was no doubt he would show up again. Maybe she would not be as lucky as today the next time. And that she had been lucky today was a fact. If she would have been fooled by him and his empty threads he might have gotten what he wanted anyway. The question was still that was. Why did he want to have her at that castle? Why there? Why her? And why did she have to choose to be at that place out of her own free will? She was confused as her fingertips touched something. When she looked down at them, she finally saw her boots again.

"So you finally snapped out of it", Hook said in front of her when their boat hit something and stopped. She let go of her boot and looked up at the Jolly Roger that was floating beside them. She would have never thought it to be possible and she would never admit it to be true to anyone, but she felt like reaching a save heaven, a home.

She looked at Hook who bound their boat to the ropes his men had thrown down to them. She would not tell him about Rumpelstiltskin's ridiculous attempts to act like a fairy and guide her. He would just believe her to be nuts. And now that she thought about it, she was not even certain it actually had happened anymore.

* * *

Even though he was playing around with Roland, his thoughts were with her, while he waited for her to come. He did not leave the bag with her heart out of sight even for a second and even though he could feel its steady beat, he was afraid she might not return. Maybe he should have stayed by her side. Maybe he should have helped her somehow instead of listening to her and leaving her behind.

He looked at Roland who stumbled back laughing about something he had not noticed because he had been too lost in his thoughts for a moment. However, maybe she had been right and this was not something he could simply decide only thinking of what he wanted to do. She had been right. He had to think of his son first. But that she had been right about this was not of any help even after around the thousands time he was thinking about it. It could not ease his worries and his guilty conscience.

His eyes wandered through the room, while Roland sat to his feet and started to wipe his wooden sword pretending that it was dirty from using it as a spade. Charming who had been called back from his search kept walking up and down the hall while Snow was starring at her hands. The others had not arrived back here yet. They were still searching for the prince or in the case of the fairies, they had to take care of their other clients.

When he had returned to the castle he had told them everything about Hook and their plan to take on Cora. Only about Regina's heart he had not said a single word since not everyone liked her and he didn't want to have to fight friends of Snow and Charming in order to protect Regina. Not that he really believed one of the dwarfs or the fairies would actually try to kill her like that. It was just something off with this place. Ever since he had entered this castle, he had had the feeling that the walls had ears. He could not shake off the feeling that their enemy was always with them and heard more than he should. Maybe Cora had sneaked a spy inside the castle. Was that the whole problem? But in that case he would have revealed their whole plan to their enemy by telling Snow and Charming and Roland would not be safe here.

A purple cloud of smoke appeared in the middle of the room and he kept his breath in expectation while pulling Roland close to his chest just in case this was Cora and not Regina. He held his breath, nervously thinking of the heart hanging from his belt while he felt the strong and fast heartbeat of his son underneath his right hand.

Even before the smoke lifted she stepped out of it appearing to be as strong as always, but Regina could not fool him. As much as she seemed to be healthy on the outside he could see how broken she was on the inside. She was hurt of something that had happened weather with her mother or even with the prince.

Charming and Snow who had stopped in the middle of their movements walked up to her in expectation and hope. You could easily see in their faces that they were hoping for good news about their son. And who could blame them for it in the situation they were currently in?

Regina was pale, her eyes were glancing at the them and she really was in a bad mood. She wasn't hurt on the outside as far as he could judge from his position at the desk.

"Henry wasn't there", she said disappointed and got herself something to drink, "I guess he never was. Someone must have placed a false track."

Snow stood up and walked up to Charming who hugged her the moment she was in his reach to support her. They supported each other for a moment in which he tried hard not to cry and she could not stop herself from doing it, as it seemed. Roland looked up to him questioningly confused because the two adults were crying like that. Robin caressed his cheek. He could not even imagine what he would do if their places were reversed and the little boy in his arms was missing. After that moment, Snow let go of her husband and took a deep breath before she looked at her stepmother, "how are you?"

Regina seemed to be confused of that question. She just shook her head and drank her red wine so she would not need to answer her. But now it was obvious that she was hurt. She was far more vulnerable than she wanted them to notice.

Robin let go of his son again and watched her unable to do anything since she would not want him to walk up to her to hug her here. He was not even sure she would want that if they were alone. It was just something he wanted to do very badly. Moreover, he did not dare to think of the reason behind it. This was neither the right moment nor the right place to think about something like that.

Roland did not have any of his problems. Probably sensing how sad she was he just ran up to her and took her hand. Regina looked down at him in surprise before she tried to smile at him.

He could not help but envy his own son for this moment. Instead of hugging her, he absentmindedly reached for the bag with her heart hanging from his belt, feeling her steady heartbeat through its fabric. He might not be able to support her now, especially since he was not even sure he was in the right place to want that, but he was relieved she was back and nobody could change that.

Now that his son was supporting her he could ask what was worrying him, "what about your mother?"

Regina finally looked at him, "she is gone. I didn't even have to fight her. Someone else had already done it."

"I don't understand this", Charming suddenly said, while he kept holding on to Snow's hand and turned to look at Regina, "I thought you were so sure about it."

"At least Hook was", Regina sighed.

"But why", Charming asked and walked up to them, "you said he was the one who broke in here that night. What did he find that convinced him it was your mother as much as he put his own life in danger like that?"

"If he even was there", Snow said and looked at Regina, "he could have just used the moment to get rid of both of you, Regina. You would have fought each other the moment you met and he knew that. Maybe he just wanted to take advantage of the moment."

The Queen looked at them surprised to see them worried for her all of a sudden now, "I know he was there. I found the helmet of the armor I had send him and my mother's bedroom was on fire when I arrived. He didn't trick me. He said he had found a ring of my mother in the fireplace which was proof enough for both of us."

Charming frowned, "a ring? Isn't that a little too obvious?"

"We thought Cora would have left it there on purpose to lure Regina out", Robin explained and put Roland up in his arms. The boy was still holding Regina's hand.

"Well, apparently she hadn't", the King said and squeezed Snow's hand tenderly to support her, "the question now is who did place that ring to distract us like that?"

"It must have been someone who knew Hook would show up here", Snow pointed out noticing how much Robin, Regina and Roland looked like a family, "or the ring would have already been placed before for us to find."

"Which means it has to be someone within these walls", Robin said darkly and felt the ease to finally point out what had been troubling him the whole time, "the question is just who."

Snow and Charming exchanged a look, "how do we find out, if this theory really is right?"

* * *

Emma stumbled into the room and sank on the edge of her bed to finally get out of her boot what kept stitching into her knuckle. She was confused after everything she had heard tonight and all the strange conversations she had had. Not to mention that she had noticed her own sword was able to push back fireballs as if they were simple snowballs.

She stopped searching through her boot and looked at the sword lying beside her on the bed now. Graham must have known it. She could remember how he had given it to her just as if it had been yesterday.

He had just bought her free. They had barely exchanged any words and he had been in a great hurry to get out of the city. Back than she had not understood why but today she knew why. It was not welcome to see a newly freed prisoner with a weapon. Back than she had thought, he just did not want to be seen with her.

In the forest, he had shoved this sword into her hands. She had been quite surprised and confused, "do you really believe this to be a smart idea?"

"Why not", he had asked almost amused and she had not understood why.

"Because you just bought me out of prison", she had answered what she had been thinking before she had considered her options. Maybe it had not been smart to talk like that. Maybe she should have just taken it. But there had been something about the trust he had offered her just after a few minutes of being together with her that had forced her to think not just of herself but of him, too.

"So?"

"I could attack you", she had stated, "to get free from you."

"And why would you want that", he had asked more seriously just as if he wanted to investigate her way of thinking or even her heart.

"I don't know you. You just bought me out of prison. How shall I know what you're up to with me", she had answered. In prison, she had heard of women being bought during the time they had to stay and being used by the men who had paid for them just as if they were their slaves. And when she had been stealing and visiting bars, drinking and laughing before she had been caught and imprisoned, she had even met prostitutes who had been bought out of prison to do the job they had to do for their pimps.

Graham had understood her right away. He had not even questioned what she was referring to but something in his eyes had changed as he had looked at her for a long moment before he had said, "you could trust me."

That answer had been more than shocking for her. She had been surprised not just about his request that seemed to be so simple and plain but about her own way of thinking and feeling. Before this moment, she had not even realized that she could not just trust him even if she wanted to. Something inside her had changed. She was not the naïve girl anymore that relied on everyone she met and who was nice to her, but someone who needed time to trust. In that, moment she was not even certain she would ever be able to trust again.

"Why should I do that", she had said more forcefully than she had wanted to.

"Because I trust you with this, too", he had pointed at the sword in her hands a small smile appearing on his lips and his eyes filled with warmth of which she hadn't even understood why he was offering it to her. Today she knew he had already seen something in her, which she had not been able to see herself. Besides that, he had been someone who loved life and knew to divide between those who had respect for it and those who did not.

"And maybe that's not a vice idea", she repeated what she had been talking about earlier; "I could still attack you."

"And would you want to do that if you're not a prisoner of mine?"

She had stared at him in confusion. If he did not want to hold her captive then why had he even paid for her? This hadn't been making any sense, "and what did you buy me for?"

Graham had looked at her for a long moment and it had been that look in his eyes and the fact that she had not heard even one lie during their entire conversation that had opened her up to him a little. Of course, she had not trusted him yet, but she had started to like him.

"Maybe I see something in you, you haven't noticed yet. Actually I want to help people around me and I thought you could help me."

"Why me?"

"Because you don't seem to be someone who would betray others", he had said and somehow she had had the feeling he was referring to the circumstances that had brought her to prison. And still he had not been lying to her, "I'm offering you chance. You can make your own choice but you've got to know that if you decide to take the path that brought you into this mess again and we meet again, we will be enemies and I won't hesitate to bring you back to prison."

His words had been harsh at that moment but she hadn't noticed even a single lie in them. Before she had known it, she had started to respect him. She had looked down at her sword and had frowned, "and how do I use this?"

Graham had laughed aloud as he had heard this. She could still hear the sound of it in her ears and her heart just as if it had been a second ago. His laughter was something else that would remain in her memory for ever. If she would think of him after she would have found out what had happened to him that night, she would remember this laughter and his smile while he talked with his wolf and relaxed at a lake next to her and she would be able to be happy about those memories.

Emma sighed and looked at the sword again, which was lying in her lap now. Back then, Graham had already known that she could not harm him even though he had reacted as if he had been surprised, as she had revealed it to him. Maybe he had chosen this sword on purpose to protect her. If that was the case, he had not wanted anything to happen to her right from the start. Her heart warmed up as she thought of this but at the same time, she felt a sadness that could break it easily all over again.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up in surprise and saw Hook standing in the doorway and watching her. She had not even noticed that he had entered the room as far in her thoughts she had been. If she thought of the way she had distrusted Graham back then she had to question her behavior towards the pirate in front of her even more. Graham had been kind and honest all the time she had spent with him. He had never lied to her nor had he done anything that could awaken her distrust and still she had needed quite some time to open up and relay on him. So why on earth was she already treating someone like Hook who kept hiding important information from her, tried to lie to her and trick her so differently? Why was she already as relaxing around him, as she did not even notice that he entered the room?

"Why shouldn't I be", she answered and watched his every move. Maybe she had become too soft lately. She had let her guards down way too often. Had she been searching for someone to trust as badly as she would open up to him as much as this after she had lost Graham? Had she really been that desperate? Maybe it was time to put some force in their deal. She needed to know the entire truth. What had Cora been talking about when she had said, _"__that idiot of a pirate doesn__'__t even know who he__'__s brought me here and it seems you don__'__t even know it yourself__"_? And what had she been referring to when she had said he had parted her from her daughter? Who the hell was the man standing there in front of her? How was she supposed to know who she was working with if he did not tell her everything she needed to know? Sure, he could keep some stuff to himself if it was too personal but she needed to know the things that would influence her and their teamwork. She could not risk getting into such a situation once more. She did not want to. It was too confusing and it would stop her from concentrating. Besides that, it seemed to have something to do with her now. What had the witch been talking about? Why had she been as special to her as she would have forgiven Hook if he would have left her with her? And why on earth did Rumpelstiltskin want her to be at Snow White's castle so badly. But she would not ask him about that. She still did not want to reveal her strange conversation with the Dark One to him. She had the feeling he would not believe her and if, he would just keep more secrets from her.

"You were so quiet after we came back here. I just thought something was off", he said looking at her almost worried. He had not noticed anything of her change in mood yet.

"What did you expect me to do", she asked curious and watched him more carefully than she had done in the past. He seemed to be exhausted. Maybe the happenings of tonight had been hard on him as well. He had been pushed around, had escaped fire and had paddled their way in and out of that island. And he had been confronted with a witch he had been hiding of for quite some time.

"I thought you would want some answers", he said after a moment of looking at her just as if she was inspecting him.

Emma was surprised he was offering answers to her like that. She had not expected him to. Actually, she had expected him to avoid this conversation as long as possible and to sneak out of her questions as he always did when he did not want to talk about something.

"And now you're offering them to me", she asked still skeptical. She just could not believe he would simply open up to her now. He was up to something or at least she had to consider him to be.

Hook sighed heavily, "actually I was hoping you'd wait till tomorrow at least."

"After you've applied this theme yourself? I'd be insane to let such an opportunity go to waste."

He crossed his arms and leaned at the doorframe looking down at his boots. He was disappointed to hear that. Maybe he had really believed her to drop the topic until he would have been able to come up with matching answers. But after she had made clear she wanted her answers now, he gave up quite easily, "what do you want to know?"

"What was Cora talking about?"

"What do you mean in particular", he asked and looked at her again.

"What did you do to her", she asked silently without breaking their eye contact. She already knew what he would say even before he put it in words.

"It's got nothing to do with our situation and everything that has happened."

"If she was willing to forgive you for that if you would trade me to her…"

"Cora doesn't forgive", he stated and walked into the room to take the rum from his desk, "she considers to forget, but she never does."

"And what exactly did she want to forget? What were you two talking about?"

"Why is it so important to you", he asked looked at her over his shoulder as he closed the bottle again, "we're out of there, we're alive. Why can't you just be happy with it?"

"Maybe I need to know how important I could have been for her if she wanted me so badly", she pointed out and stood up, "what was that about?"

Hook took a deep sip of his rum and thought about it, "actually I have no idea. I don't even understand where those powers were coming from that you beat her with. Can you tell me that?"

"Don't change the subject."

He sighed and turned around to her the glass still in his right hand, "Love, all I know is, that no matter what she said it was worth nothing. If she offered me to forget about me in exchange for you it were just empty words. She was not risking anything so you were not really valuable for her. She just wanted us to believe you to be."

"Why won't you tell me what happened between you two", Emma asked slowly and with less energy in her words.

"Because it's not important."

"She could show up again and then it could be important."

"Well, let's see about that", he said placing the glass on the table and walking up to the cupboard where he kept the mirror he used to talk with Regina.

"What are you going to tell her", she asked watching him.

Hook came back to her the mirror in his hands still covered under the cloths he always kept it in, "just that we didn't find the prince."

"She won't be happy to hear that we didn't search the whole castle."

"Luckily we didn't need to with your special talent. But do not worry. I won't tell her neither about you nor about your ability", he nodded at the sword she was still holding in her hands, "and I won't mention that either. But I believe she was there when we escaped or we would not have made it alive from that island. I just want to know what happened."

"You want to know if Cora is gone", she understood and walked up to him. Whatever it was that was sticking in her boot scratched her again. She stopped and shoved the sword back on its place at her belt. Then she stumbled up to him and waited.

Before he pulled off the clothes, he made certain she would not be seen by Regina. They exchanged a short glance, before he looked at the mirror hesitating to face the witch for a second, "why is it so important to you to know what happened between her and me?"

Emma looked at him in surprise, "she could show up again."

"Will it still be important to you if we find out that she is gone forever", he looked at her again and she had the feeling that her answer was important to him even though she couldn't understand why just like she couldn't understand why he wouldn't just tell her.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Why?"

"Because I'm just too curious."

"Lie."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "that's my line."

"But I am still right, aren't I?"

Emma did not say anything. They both knew he was right.

He sighed, "maybe you should stop digging in my past and see me for my actions today to decide if you can trust me, Love."

He asked her openly to trust him once again. She had a bitter taste in her mouth and she knew where it was coming from. Guilt. She did not like it, "our decisions in the past influence our reactions in the presence. And if your past keeps catching up on you like this I have to think about it, too."

He looked down at the mirror in his hands again and pulled away the cloths revealing his face to the witch who was supposed to be on the other side. He waited for a moment expecting her to show up any minute. But when she did not he called for her.

Emma watched him. Her explanation was week. But she just could not trust him the way he wanted her yet. She was curious about what he would tell the witch now. Would she become another thread to their lives and plans now that they had not found the prince? Would she declare war to Hook? Or would she come up with another plan, another place they would have to check for her? How long would this continue until they would finally do what they actually wanted to do? How long would it take until they would finally search for Blackbeard and Rumpelstiltskin?

Hook sighed and shoved the cloths back in place, "she doesn't answer. I'll try again later."

"Why don't you just leave the mirror here? When she is there she can call for you."

"I want to chose when I talk with her", he shrugged and watched her stumbling over to a chair and taking a seat in it. It was just now that he noticed she had not gotten out of it yet what ever it was that had fallen inside.

She reached into her boot, "just why would she even have wanted me? And what for?"

Hook crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned at his desk watching her search through the boot until she finally gave up and turned it around so whatever was inside could fall into her hand, "I don't know. But I assume she is gone. At least she can't find us on the Jolly Roger, so there is no need to worry about her anymore."

She stopped and looked up to him the little thing in her left hand while she was still holding on to her boot with her right one, "you were together with her."

He frowned and corrected her, "we kind of teamed up, nothing more."

Emma rolled her eyes, "yes, but you spent time with her. You know her. What could she be up to?"

"The only thing she ever wanted ever since I met her was her daughter. She wanted her back. I do not know what happened between them. All I know is she was willing to do whatever it would take to get her back, even if it meant to force her."

"And of what use could I've been in that matter", she looked at him questioningly until her expression changed as if she had noticed something he hadn't realized he was revealing to her, "you know something. What is it you're hiding from me?"

Hook sighed. It was nothing more but an idea. He was not certain about it. He did not know if it was true and he did not want to confuse her. Nor did he want to trouble her as much as she would not be of use for him anymore. What he had in mind could push her into an internal struggle with herself and everything she thought she knew.

She had known Graham, he had given her that sword to protect her, Cora wanted her, she had unexpected powers she didn't seem to understand herself at all, nor had she ever known she had them, she was an orphan and there had been something strange about her when they had been at Snow White's castle. He could not put a finger on what exactly it was, but she had been completely different after they had been back here. He did not know why he was always seeing a connection between her and the missing princess but there was something. Maybe it was because of Graham.

But his assumptions weren't reason enough to confront and maybe even confuse her with this idea he couldn't shake off. No, he needed proof for what he was thinking before he would tell her anything.

"Hook", she insisted, "what is it?"

He shrugged, "you won't drop it, will you?"

"No."

"It's just some stupid idea."

"Tell me."

He sighed, "I was just wondering if you…"

"What?"

Hook decided to change his tactic now that he would tell her anyway, "you are an orphan, Swan."

"So", she asked frowning in confusion. She could not understand what this had to do with Cora and her strange words and interested in her.

"Well, maybe she thought you to be the missing princess of Snow White and Charming", he said fast and watched her expression change in an eye blink. Her curiousness vanished into confusion and further into shock before she was just amused. Now he was surprised.

"No", she said as if he was insane, "that's not possible, Hook."

"I already told you it was just an idea."

"You've got to be kidding me. That's just not possible", she said and stood up again shaking her head.

"It's the only explanation I could come up with. The only other person Regina would want to find besides Prince Henry is his elder sister who is supposed to break the curse", Hook said slowly, "if Cora would have delivered her to her or would have held her captive to influence Regina she might have been successful to get her daughter back."

"There is no way I'm that princess", Emma insisted almost angry now. She refused to think about Rumpelstiltskin who had shown up to bring her back to that castle. She just could not believe that to be true.

"It's just a theory, Swan. I don't know if it's true nor do I know if it's not."

"Right", she almost growled as she sat back down and pulled her boot on again, "and that's just fine. We should focus on our deal again."

He grinned, "and what about it in particular?"

"You're revenge for example."

Hook sighed and looked down on his hook. He had been hunting for it his whole life, he had given everything for it and had gotten involved with people he had better avoided and he had not achieved anything. Instead of finding peace and living, his own life trying to get happy he had watched others finding love and fighting for it. In all those years, he had not even gotten close to Rumpelstiltskin even though he had found out how he could be killed, but the truth was he did not want to take his place. He had never wanted to become the Dark One himself but it seemed to be the only solution for his revenge. He had seen too many people who had not been able to do something good with the powers entrusted to them to actually want a life like that and he loved his life even without those powers.

However, seeing Emma who had no idea what she was capable of just as he did not know how strong she might be using these powers to help someone was something encouraging. Maybe those powers could be used differently as well. But that did not change that he wasn't interested in becoming the Dark One. He had to think about something if he really wanted to kill that old Crocodile.

He looked at Emma sitting in front of him and watching him like she was just waiting to see something in his face she could understand even though he would not want to tell her. The curious, smart, beautiful, powerful, skillful, sometimes even funny and brave Emma who could be dangerous if she wanted to be and definitely had potential to be dangerous for him in ways she was not even considering yet.

He sighed, "how could I concentrate on that if Regina would be after me for not finding that boy?"

"Then what shall we do now?"

Hook sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "if we ever want to leave the Jolly Roger again without fearing to be attacked by a furious Evil Queen, we should come up with a plan of how to search for the prince next."

Emma gave it a thought, "there is still the problem I had with that woman who's been taking care of the boy until he disappeared."

"Don't you think that's a little too obvious? I thought we had decided it to be a dead end", he said a little surprised that she would still come up with that.

"No, actually that's what you said", Emma stood up and walked up to him, "but if you have a better idea, go on. Tell me who do you expect to have kidnapped a boy out of a castle without leaving any tracks or being noticed by anyone? He couldn't have flown out of the window, could he?"

"Wait", he jumped up to stand straight in front of her and held out his hand to underline his words, but he did not look at her. Instead, he focused on a spot at the wall behind her as if he was lost in thoughts, "repeat that."

"What? That he disappeared like he had never existed in that place to begin with", she asked puzzled and stared at him.

"No, the other part", he said a little impatient and finally looked at her.

"I don't understand", Emma said confused. She had not said anything else, had she? At least nothing with a meaning to it.

"I have an idea where to search next", he suddenly stated without explaining anything more to her.

She waited for him to continue and as she understood that he would not, she looked from him to her left hand in which she was still holding what she had fished out of her boot. It was a white and small bean lying in her palm. She frowned, "what's that?"

Absentmindedly he looked up to her and as he noticed the bean, his eyes grew wide. With two steps he was by her side and took the bean out of her hand to hold it up against the light that shone through the window. He grinned, "that's a portal bean, Love. You really are a lucky person, aren't you?"

"Why that", she asked even more confused of his newly found excitement. She could not understand where it was coming from or what he was talking about and it was almost frustrating that he would not tell her anything more.

"Later, first I need to think of a way to get back home again", he said and looked at the bean in his hand.

"Home? From where", she asked and tried not to explode. He did not share information with her again. Just why did she always ignore that little part of their deal?

As expected, he did not tell her.

* * *

Emma sighed. They had landed at a harbor a three days travel across the sea away from Cora's castle. Hook had said he needed to gather information and he seemed to want to employ more men, since he had send out Smee and Base to take care of the sign ins. She had no idea why at all. He already had as many pirates as she had to wonder where he planned to let them stay. They could not follow them in another ship, could they? Maybe it would have been a little easier to understand his reasons and his actions if she would have known a little more about it.

Emma sighed and leaned back. She had neither idea where the journey was going nor what he was up to. All she knew was that he had been quite lively ever since their little conversation that had not made any sense to her. But somehow he had found something he could work with in her words. Actually, she should have called him back on their deal and sharing information with her in particular, but he seemed to be on to something and she did not want to slow him down. The sooner they would find the boy the sooner they would be able to follow their own goals, right?

Emma watched the few people rushing through the streets and reached for her water. For that strange idea he seemed to have he had simply left her alone on the street without saying a single word. So there she was sitting all alone on the wall dividing the town from the harbor and leaning back at the wall of a house next to it. Down the street, she could see the lights of the next tavern shining through the darkness and right in front of it there was a table where Smee and Base let the new men sign up, before they would enter the Jolly Roger.

It was strange how things had changed ever since she had made that deal with Hook. This actually was the first time she had a moment all for herself and she found she could not really enjoy it. Even though he had made it sound like a ridiculous idea she could not help but feel that there was something off with it. She still could not believe that she might be the lost princess, the savior everyone had been searching for so many years ago. However, she could not understand why Hook had come up with that anyway. Sure, he had explained it, but it did not seem plausible to her. Cora could have had so many reasons to want to keep her except that particular one, so why had he come up with that?

And then there was her little run in with Snow White at her castle. The nursery had been strangely familiar. Sure, she had never seen it before as far as she could remember, but it had felt like it just as the queen had.

Emma swallowed hard. She did not want to believe it and if she was honest, she even was afraid of the possibility. She had never been searching for her parents and she certainly did not want to be a princess. She just did not feel like one. Her life had been so different from the one a princess would have experienced that she just could not imagine that she would ever be able to live such a life. But that was not everything she was afraid of. The responsibilities were not the only reason. She always imagined her parents to be old by now. It was ridiculous and she knew it since she grew up with this stupid curse put upon the entire Enchanted Forest, but she felt it would be strange to have parents the same age as her.

No, all she wanted was to live her life the way she wanted to live it. She wanted to be free and first of all, she wanted to find out what had happened to Graham that night. She wanted to understand it so she would not need to feel guilty because she had not been there for him in that moment. She wanted to know who was responsible so that she might get back on him for it. She certainly did not want to kill his murderer since she knew that revenge would not help Graham anymore, but she wanted to make that person suffer somehow. He should not just get away with killing him.

Emma looked across the masts of the ships down at the harbor and focused on the horizon she could barely see through the moonlight. And then there was this miraculous connection between Graham and Hook. The pirate did not want to tell her anything about it, at least not anything more than he had already done and as far as she could remember, her old friend had not told her about the pirate as well. While Graham never had had a reason to tell her anything about it, Hook seemed to want to erase their common history. He never revealed anything more about it and if she was not mistaken and if she could trust her instincts then he did his best to avoid anything that could reveal something to her.

And what about Cora and Regina? What had Hook done to earn their distrust and to part them to the extend that those women had been fighting each other for so long? How much time had he really spent with them? Cora had appeared to be quite familiar with him and he had known her good enough to read her words and reactions as well. Bloody hell, he had even known about that creepy cellar with the hearts.

What else was he hiding? And why did she even still trust him? Maybe she really should question him more. Maybe she should demand the answers he was not giving her now, even though it might slow him down in whatever he was planning. Maybe she should be much more careful with him and maybe she would already be further in achieving her plans if she would not have made that deal with him. Maybe she should just break it and leave.

But Graham had taught her to stay to her word and to find Blackbeard had taken her a very long time before. And Hook had never left her behind or betrayed her, had he? Fine, he was not always sharing all information with her and she really did not want to endure that, but he was there for her, he did not let her down and he even put his own life on the line to save her. He could have left her with Cora after all.

Emma sighed. Maybe having time to think was not as good as she had believed it to be. These thoughts were not taking her anyway but just confused her. She did not want to think about these things feeling that they were troubling her too much. She just wanted to continue her journey.

Someone sneaking through the streets caught her attention and she thanked god for the distraction. The person was stumbling and every now and then he was enlightened by the dim light of a street lantern when he passed one. He was wearing a brown cloak that hide his body structures and the hood was pulled as deeply into his face that she wasn't able to see anything of it, so she had no idea if he was a man or a woman. As he came closer to her on the other side of the street she noticed that he was using a stick but somehow she did not really believe him to be an old person. Something about this was off.

Why did she even care? She had nothing to do with that particular person, had she? There was nothing she needed to worry about. Maybe he was just a beggar searching for some pennies that had been lost by someone walking by to buy foot or in the worst case rum. Maybe he was just an old person on his way home and he had lost something on his way. There was no reason to wonder so much about him. But still…

It was nothing but a vague feeling that troubled her so much, but she could not shake it off that something was wrong with that person. Something was off and she had not noticed what exactly it was yet.

Emma frowned indulging in those thoughts and looked at the sea again. Maybe she was just too bored and now her mind was playing with her to distract her. But her instincts had never betrayed her before. She had always been able to trust them. There had even been times when she had had nothing but it she could rely on. So why should she question it now?

There was a strange sound in front of her and as she looked up again the stranger was sitting on the wall in front of her. She still was not able to see his face but she recognized the strange sound of his laughter. But why would he be here now?

"What do you want?"

"What? You're not happy to see me? I'm hurt", he said just as theatrically as the last time they had seen each other, "and I was hoping you'd finally understand the importance of our agreement."

"Which agreement", Emma asked and frowned. She had a very bad feeling about this. The last time she had seen him she had refused to go back to Snow White's and Charming's castle but had chosen to continue her journey with Hook and he hadn't been too happy with that.

"Oh yeah, I remember", he said pointing a finger at his forehead like he was trying to recall their last conversation, "you refused to help me and that's why we need to be here now."

Emma ignored the accusation in his words, "what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd made up your mind, dearie", he smiled but there was nothing like amusement in his eyes. The way he was looking at her felt more like a warning or a threat. But why on earth had he decided to show up again now? And why so soon? Hadn't she made herself clear? What had happened that he felt it was the right time to come and warn her again, if you could call it like that.

"Why? Because you said you'd trouble me", she stood up and grabbed her flask, "sorry, but no." He did not seem to be impressed by her words, but she did not care. She turned around and walked some meters as he said something that made her stop. She could barely understand his words since he spoke them almost silently as if he wanted to share an awful secret with her and she had to admit that she actually felt like that was true, "actually because you finally know where you belong and who you really are."

He waited for her to say something or maybe he just wanted to create a dramatically break, she didn't care. She froze in her steps and starred at the ground in front of her feet. She felt like she was paralyzed and her thoughts turned numb.

"You've been thinking about it, right? It's nagging on you even as we speak", he said suddenly standing behind her and whispering in her right ear like a ghost trying to scare her, "do you still think you could trust him? He knows the truth yet he didn't tell you, dearie."

She didn't need to ask who he was talking about it was clear that he meant Hook. Even though she knew that it was his intention to spread it she could not help but feel doubts creeping into her heart, while her mind tried to defend him at all costs, knowing that she needed to trust him at least a little if she wanted to work with him successfully and to achieve her goal. It was telling her that Hook had mentioned it and that it didn't matter how likely he believed it to be or not since he had told her. Her mind told her that Rumpelstiltskin might know about their conversation for some reason but that he couldn't know about their reasons for everything they had said or had not said. He couldn't know about the reasons behind their actions.

However, even though she knew all that, the doubt remained and poisoned her heart. Rumpelstiltskin seemed to enjoy the situation more than she would have imagined it to be possible. It was disgusting and she felt sick seeing it.

"So, have you changed your mind", he said like a nightmare sneaking up on her long after she had woken up. She had to admit that he was good in this game. At least this was more like him than his attempts to guide her like a fairy. No, this was his true face or at least one of them. She could imagine that he had more than one.

"No", she said honestly and in a deciding voice that wouldn't allow any contradictions, "I'll continue my way." And it was the truth. She had made her decision without even really thinking about it. She wouldn't run away from her promise and more importantly, she wouldn't forget everything she wanted to reach and to do just because of a realization of something that still felt impossible to be true. Rumpelstiltskin really didn't know about her reasons or he would have understood that this wasn't about Hook but about a dept she felt towards a dead friend who had been more of a family than the people who had given her away or had lost her and had failed to find her just like they were failing to get back their son. People who preferred to keep this room inside their home treating it like a grave instead of searching for her. If it really was true. A huge part of her still wasn't willing to accept it was true.

Rumpelstiltskin didn't like to hear those words. His expression changed from amused to a bitter realization that seemed to anger him more than everything she had ever said to him as he heard her refusal. Even though she still couldn't see his face she felt the change in his expression. It felt dangerous and nothing he could have told her up to now could have made her feel more threatened than this now.

But he tried to cover his anger through sighing as if he was unimpressed, "then you're leaving me no other choice."

"What does that mean", she asked and finally turned to look at him.

"That means that what'll happen next has to happen then."

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

"Don't act as if you're not scared, dearie. We both know that you are."

Now she really felt sick, "but you said that you couldn't force me to do anything and threatening me would turn out to be the same."

"I'm not threatening you", he said slowly and almost confidentially a wolfish smile on his lips, "but I don't need to help you as well. I can lean back and enjoy the show, dearie. And trust me, I'll do it."

Emma frowned, "what are you up to?"

"Me", he said as if it was the most impossible thing to assume placing a hand on his chest, "nothing. But they on the other hand…"

Emma turned in her heels to look down the street, but everything was the same. The tavern was lighted, people were coming and leaving quite drunk, Base and Smee were sitting at their desk taking care of the new members of the crew and in front of the desk were several men standing in a line waiting for their turn. There was nothing strange or different from before as far as she could judge about it, but still there was a strange feeling about this picture. It felt the same as before when she had watched Rumpelstiltskin putting on his little show for her. But could she really trust those feelings after everything the wizard had said? Hadn't he just planted those instincts in her as he had planted her doubts against Hook?

"What do you mean", she asked and turned to face him again just to notice that he had disappeared unnoticed. But she didn't have time to wonder when or how he had vanished, because behind her the world turned into chaos.

The sound of yelling and shouting people reached her ears even before she turned to check on it. She barely saw Base throwing the desk to the ground so he could hide behind it with Smee through the men running away from them and past her to vanish in the night. He had made it just in time, because several bulletins hit the surface of the desk, sending wood ships flying through the air like rain drops falling from the sky.

Emma ran up to them pulling a knife from her belt and regretting that she hadn't taken along her sword as the men standing lined up in front of the desk tried to refill their pistols. Base jumped across the desk to attack them just as she crashed into two of them from behind. She pushed the pistol out of the soldiers hand and kicked the second one so the bulletins he tried to fill into his gun fell to the ground just like the gun that slipped through his fingers. An arm was wrapped around her neck from behind as she was pulled back the air vanishing from her lungs. She turned the knife in her hand and pushed it back until she felt it hitting something and the arm around her neck loosened again. But before she could react to it the other soldier hit her face as badly as she felt dizzy. Instead of falling to the ground, she gasped for air as she hit back blinded by the pain coming from her bleeding right eye. Hit in his stomach the soldier grunted, before he reached for another strike. However, he didn't reach her again, since she jumped aside so he would hit his comrade who had been getting back to his feet after pulling her knife out of his side, so he fell to the ground unconscious. Before the soldier could attack her again, she pushed the reflex point at his neck and send him sleeping just as Base crushed into her from behind. They fell to the ground side by side and it took her a while to get back to her feet since Base's arm was wrapped around her waist.

"What the hell is going on here", Emma yelled and rolled to the side to avoid the next hit. Base hadn't been as lucky as she had been so instead of answering her he grunted once more.

Three soldiers had jumped at them and since she had rolled to the side, they had crushed into Base. One of them got back to his feet to look for her as Base started to roll across the ground with the rest of them. He send one of them flying and he crashed into the soldier coming for her.

"Seriously?"

He pushed the last one aside, too, "leave them to me."

"Don't you think that's a little unfair?"

"No", he said getting back to his feet and grabbing the soldier he had been fighting with at his collar to punch him until the other two would be back to their feet, "they attacked me, after all."

"And that's reason enough for you to have all the fun for yourself", she asked skeptically and leaned at the wall behind her crossing her arms in front of her chest and watching him almost throwing the soldier away to take care of the remaining two.

"Yes", he said enjoying the fight a little too much for her taste, "where is Smee?"

Emma frowned and looked behind the destroyed desk while Base crashed the soldier's heads together to knock them out, "I don't know. He's not here."

Base threw a knife at her that stuck in the wooden surface of the desk, "I guess, that's yours?"

She pulled it out, "thanks."

"Run", someone yelled from her left and as she turned to look where the voice was coming from, she saw Smee running up the street followed by soldiers hunting him, "run. Fast!"

They exchanged a short glance before they turned to run in the opposite direction and froze in their steps. There were more soldiers.

"What now?"

"The wall", Base shouted and grabbed a gun lying on the ground, "hurry up if you don't want to be caught", he searched through a soldier's trousers until he found what he was searching for and followed her to the wall, Smee following them close by. The first mate was more than exhausted, as he finally reached the wall. Emma turned around to fight, but Base pointed the filled gun at the Jolly Roger and shot.

"What are you doing?"

"Jump", he said and grabbed Smee to pull him up the wall. Emma did not wait for him to disappear and leave her alone in front of the wall but climbed up on it and searched for a place to jump down before the soldiers would remember their guns and start to fire at them. She jumped just as the first bulletins were shot and landed in an awning that barely held her up and saved her from hitting the pavement below. She rolled to her back to see she could see where she was as she noticed Base jumping down to her followed by Smee who seemed to be quite surprised. The fabric of the awning wouldn't be able to keep all of them up, so she tried to jump off of it as fast as possible but even before she could roll to the side, Base hit the awning, its fabric tear until small holes appeared in it, they sunk deeper and then they fell one meter until they hit the pavement. It hurt like hell as her back hit the ground and she didn't even want to imagine what it had to feel like for Base who seemed to be quite exhausted. She could hear his grunting as she noticed Smee who was hanging from the remains of the awning. As he had been falling, he had to have grabbed the wooden frame from which he was hanging now.

Emma rolled to the side before he slipped off it unable to keep himself up any longer and crashed into Base who was yelling in pain. She got back to her feet and looked up to the wall where some of the soldiers lined up to shoot at them. She ran up to the pirates and helped them up, before she pulled them along running into the direction of the Jolly Roger. A hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back to drag her into the opposite direction. It was Base who ran after Smee out of town and tried to pull her along. She had no idea why but she decided it to be better to follow them instead of ending up all alone face to face with their enemies, who already were following them.

They left behind the last houses, before they hide in a dark street behind some boxes and barrels to take a break. The soldiers didn't notice the small street but continued their way out of town.

"Why did we run here", Emma asked still gasping as the last soldiers passed them. She was holding her sides that were burning like they were set on fire and leaned back at the wall so she would be able to breath in deeper and more easily.

"Because Base warned the men of the soldiers", Smee said grunting as well, "he shot at them and they set sail. We can only hope that we'll find them again."

"The captain's with them", Base growled and the sound of his voice made her look up to him. He was holding his right arm as if it was hurting badly and he was grunting even more than Smee, which was bad.

"Hook isn't on board. He left the Jolly Roger with me this morning", she said and kneeled in front of him to check on his arm.

He pushed her away violently, "what does that mean he left with you?"

Emma looked at him in surprise, "that means we left the ship together and as soon as we had checked on you guys, he simply left me alone to vanish into the town."

"What? Why", he growled and grabbed both her upper arms as if his right arm wasn't hurt at all, "what did you do to him?"

"I did nothing", she almost yelled to defend herself while her arms hurt like hell under his grip, "he left. He didn't want to tell me anything about his plans. But I guess he wanted to gather information."

"Would you guys be a little more quiet", Smee whispered and pulled Base away from her, "we don't want to be found, do we?"

"Yeah", Base said sarcastically, "if somebody knows about running away it's you, Smee."

"Who were those soldiers and why did they attack us", Emma asked confused. That Base would hate her and that he would treat her like a traitor wasn't that much of a surprise but that he would treat Smee like that, too was more than strange. They were mates weren't they? Besides that, their entire behavior was awkward. Smee was the first mate, wasn't he? Therefore, he should be treated with more respect and he should call for it as such.

Smee sighed and exchanged a short glance with Base who seemed to be undecided. It appeared as if he didn't just know whether he should answer her but also whether he should laugh or remain serious. He chose to smile slightly without telling her anything.

"We should about this later", Smee said and stood up again, "is your arm okay, Base?"

Emma blinked. This wasn't the Smee she knew. Just earlier, he had proofed himself to be a real yellow-belly and now he was leading them? Was this real? However, what was even more confusing was that Base who had treated him with disrespect just a moment ago was getting back to his feet as if nothing had happened to follow his first mate. What was going on with them? Had she missed something that had happened between the lines? Or was this a men friendship thing that she just didn't get?

They sneaked through the streets hiding behind corners every now and then when they heard someone running through the streets or talking until they reached the forest and vanished into the protective darkness of the trees and bushes surrounding them.

"So spill it", Emma said pulling a branch aside so she could walk freely. Base who was walking right behind her took it so it wouldn't hit his chest. His right arm was bleeding where a bulletin had scratched him, he had a bruise at his left eyebrow and some more at his arms and his neck where the soldiers had grabbed, hid or tried to choke him and from his fall from the awning. Besides that there scratches at his arms from it as well.

"Who were they and what did they want", Emma repeated her question and stopped at a tree trunk waiting for Smee who stumbled after them quite loudly. He certainly wasn't used to forests.

Base just glared at her. She had no doubt that he still distrusted her. He certainly still believed her to be involved in Hook's disappearance. When would he finally stop to think like that? But she couldn't blame him for it. She hadn't done anything to dispel his doubts against her. But she wasn't certain that it was just about doubting her but maybe even about hating her and there was only one reason he could feel like that towards her. It still had to be about their fight when she had met him for the first time. Anything else wasn't plausible to her.

"Those were King Frederic's soldiers", Smee said as he finally reached them.

"Who is that", Emma asked surprised to notice that this name was ringing a bell. It was somehow familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before or what it meant to her.

"That's a long story", Base said to end their conversation and walked up to her, "where have you seen Hook the last time?"

She looked up to him as he stood in front of her blocking her view like a wall, "at the wall we jumped from earlier. I was there the entire day, but he didn't come back. He can't be back on the Jolly Roger."

"You could have overseen him", Smee said hopefully and looked from Base to her and back again.

"I was waiting for him. I would have noticed him", Emma said honestly even though it was quite troubling to even imagine that he might have been caught by the soldiers, "but why would this King Frederic hunt for Hook or anyone of you? And why were you smiling earlier?"

"Well", Smee said as Base stepped back releasing a breath in annoyance, "I have to start earlier, I guess. Okay listen. When we came back to the Enchanted Forest the captain had overheard a rumor about a woman who had been taken by Rumpelstiltskin."

"Belle?"

Smee looked at her in surprise, "yes. Yes, that was her name. How do you-"

"Doesn't matter", she cut him off, "continue."

"Well, we searched everywhere for her, but there wasn't even a single rumor. There was nothing until people started to talk about her all of a sudden. It was said she had escaped and some even said he had let her go. The rumors lead us to King Frederic's realm and then things became strange. The captain ran into a mere farmer who was running from the king, saying that he knew about this Belle. Therefore, Hook sneaked into the castle to find someone who would be able to tell him something useful. He sneaked into the king's bedroom and threatened him to help him."

"That's what he told us", Base added and sat on a big rock.

"The king refused to help him", Smee continued glaring at him for a short second before he obviously decided to ignore the pirate, "and since killing him wouldn't have helped him any further, Hook escaped from the castle. Of course he was more than angry so he searched for a way to get back on the king for refusing his answers and he stumbled over a rumor told everywhere in the realm. It said the king had locked up his daughter in a tower so she wouldn't run away with a mere farmer. People said that this farmer had shown up out of nowhere saying he was searching for fear since he didn't know what it meant. He helped the king to take care of several problems and he met the princess and fell for her."

Base snorted in annoyance as he ripped the lower part of his shirt to wrap it around his upper arm where the bulletin had brushed him. He obviously thought it to be pointless and a waste of time to talk about this now.

"Princess Marleen and he wanted to marry if the farmer would survive the last of the king's tasks. But even as he made it the king refused, the people said", Smee continued as if nothing had happened at all, "he locked her into a tower where she was supposed to stay until the farmer would give up or would be caught and executed."

"And then?"

"Hook searched for the tower and freed the princess", Smee said grinning, "he helped her to escape knowing that it would hurt the king the most, left a sign at one of the tower's walls so he would definitely know it was the captain who had saved her and was rewarded with a huge bounty on his head."

Emma stared at him, "a bounty? What bounty?"

"Well", Smee said, "it was a large sum for his body."

"The sum was even larger if he would be brought alive", Base added darkly and stared at Emma as if he was accusing her to have earned said bounty by selling all of them.

"And then?"

"We left the kingdom and avoided it for the past twenty-seven years", Smee concluded, "but there had been rumors about the princess and Hook."

"What rumors", she asked before she even thought about it and the men exchanged a short glance smiling at each other as if they were talking in a language only them could understand.

"Well, rumors about Hook…", Smee stopped and turned a little red. He didn't know how to put it in words in front of her.

"Rumors saying that Hook had fun with her before he let her go", Base said coldly without even thinking about her feelings or her gender what she highly appreciated, "some even said he had forced her."

"Y-you can imagine that the King didn't like to hear that at all", Smee added almost shyly and watched her carefully as if he didn't want to miss her freak out or something like other women might have done it hearing about rumors about rape or simple sex.

"Do you think he was caught", Emma asked ignoring him and looked from one of them to the other. Base who seemed to be a little disappointed from her relaxed reaction, looked as if he wanted to blame her for everything again if he wasn't even planning to attack her while Smee stared at his feet. He seemed nervous and he did his best to avoid Base's eyes as if he was scared his mate might notice something she wasn't aware of yet.

"Smee", she asked because she wanted to know what it was about.

The first mate didn't look at her but focused on something behind her, "I think we should check the Jolly Roger first."

Base jumped to his feet, "what?"

"We don't know if he was caught. He could be on the Jolly Roger after all", Smee defended himself.

"You just heard that he didn't get back to the Jolly Roger", Base growled more than angry now.

"And still we can't know it for sure", Smee insisted, "he could have gotten back when she was gone for a second or something like that. Or he just took another way back."

"But if we go back to the Jolly Roger and he is not there he could be executed before we reach him", Base stated almost furious, "we need to check on the castle first."

"But if he is not there we could draw unnecessary attention on us and on him", Smee declared almost scared now.

"We check on the castle first", Emma said loudly and the men stared at her as if she was crazy. She could already imagine why. Smee was scared to the core and Base didn't want to follow her orders or even any small decision she would make and had a hard time to come up with something that would exclude her from this trip since they shared the same opinion and he didn't want to take her along.

"But why", Smee asked shocked while Base still seemed to search for a solution for his problem.

"Because the castle is the place where he will need us. On the Jolly Roger he is save", Emma explained and looked at Base waiting for anything he would come up with to get rid of her. She would need to react to it and she didn't plan to give in to anything he would say to do so. She would join them no matter what and if he was honest then he had to admit that he needed her.

He stared at her as if she was a wild animal that he wanted to scare off with nothing but the strength in his gaze to demonstrate that he was the boss. She didn't look away. She would not give up and she would not give him any reason to believe he could defeat her in matters of willpower. She needed Hook just as much as he did and she would not stay back if they had to fight to get him back.

Base sighed and looked to his feet. He seemed to be annoyed so he had to have decided that they would need her. Smart man. He was right about that. Moreover, she already had an idea about how to get into the castle and maybe even near Hook. But she also knew that he wouldn't like to hear her plan at all.

"So where is that castle", she asked. It already was too late even to hope to find Hook before he would be delivered to the king. They had spent too much time escaping from the town, hiding in the streets and discussing everything through. The captain had to be there now so they would just have hours left to save him. If he really had been captured, he might be executed by the next day when people would be able to watch the entire show. After everything Hook had done to get back on the king the possibility was high that he would put on a show to demonstrate his power and his pride not just to the pirate but also to the whole world.

Especially if this princess had married her farmer, the king would urge to demonstrate that people hurting him and his realm would have to suffer. If the princess had married the farmer, it wasn't just about the present but about the future as well after all. If the king would die the farmer would be the next king, what would be more than live threatening for the entire realm. Hook really had placed a deep shot when he had taken revenge on the king and maybe he was already suffering from it. She couldn't imagine that the king would just wait for his execution to make him suffer. No, he would torture him that was why he had preferred to get him alive and had offered even more money for that on the wanted posters after all.

They made their way through the forest until they reached a road in the middle of it and followed it. They walked throughout the entire night and stopped just for a short nap when they were finally in sight of the castle. Huge walls that were guarded quite well surrounded it. A huge gate that was pulled up seemed to be the only entrance and from the walls, there were around four canons pointed at it.

Emma frowned as she noticed that. They were sitting on a small hill hidden by a huge rock that was spending shadow from the weak morning sun in which Base and Smee were taking their nap. There were huge fields separating the hill and them from the castle in the valley. It was a strange location for a castle to be placed. In the center of the valley, it could be attacked from all around and the enemies would be able to hide easily from the canons shooting back at them. There wasn't even a moat surrounding it. The only advantage they could take from its position was to see when the enemy would attack them.

"How did Hook sneak inside", Emma asked curious and tried to find a weak point in the building she was looking at. At least from her position she couldn't find one.

"I have no idea", Smee answered dizzy, "he never mentioned it."

"We'll have to come up with something on our own", Base growled sleepy and watched her refusing to fall asleep anyway.

"No", Emma said and turned her back on the castle, "I actually have a plan."

Base sat up, "and what is it about?"

"You won't like it."

"I already guessed something like that."

"But before I tell you anything about it, you've got to know that you're the one who inspired me to it", she smiled at him coldly, "so don't complain."

"You want me to trust you", he asked skeptically and stood up to kick Smee's legs so the first mate would snap out of his nap and stand up to listen to their conversation as well.

"I just want you to work together with me", she answered, "that isn't the same as trusting, but it means you have to stop trying to fight me like I was your enemy for now."

Base crossed his arms in front of her chest and snorted, "why?"

"Because otherwise we won't be able to free him, will we? And you want to save him, don't you", she waited for his decision while she thought about her plan. She had an idea about how to get inside but she hadn't thought of a way out yet. If they would find Hook, it wouldn't be a problem since he had to know how to get outside from his last break in, but if they wouldn't find him, they would be screwed as much was certain.

* * *

It had taken her around half an hour to convince Base to act along and another ten minutes to tie him up. It had felt like eternity until they had finally reached the gate that was quite impressive the closer they got. Smee was talking with the guards while they were waiting for their decision.

"Why don't you do that", Base whispered to annoy her but somehow she had a feeling that he was curious about it as well.

"Because we don't want to draw too much attention, do we", she said and watched Smee who seemed to be quite nervous just as expected. He scarf she had wrapped around her neck to hide the lower half of her face and the hood she was wearing were quite hot in the light of the late summer sun, but they were necessary to disguise her. It would only be suspicious if a woman would deliver a man like Base while Smee of all people was only taking care of the negotiations. And like this, things would work out a lot smoother and faster.

"And with Smee talking to them we won't be suspicious", Base asked skeptically and tried his best to look exhausted and barely awake, what was easier thanks to his bruises.

"We couldn't let him sneak inside, could we", Emma stated, "he would have freaked out as soon as he would have been separated from us. You on the other hand…"

"I'm brave enough, you want to say", he asked sarcastically, "stop fooling with me. I'm not falling for it. You enjoy this a little too much if you ask me."

"So you noticed", Emma smiled into her scarf and shoved him forward roughly, as Smee turned around to look at them, "don't take it too far or they won't believe you."

"Funny", Base said sarcastically, "what happens next you expert?"

"You get inside", Emma answered, "we on the other hand might not be allowed in even after delivering you."

Base stared at her angrily and stopped in his movement, "you betrayed me."

"You think so?"

"You bastard", he screamed and fought against his ties just like earlier when she had tried to convince him to play along but this time it was too late. His screams and efforts to get free and attack her were misjudged by the soldiers, who only understood a little part of what was actually going on between them.

"Calm down", she said silently, "remember what I said about acting along?"

But he didn't hear her as aroused as he was. He didn't even try to not even as the guards took him inside and threw a package with money to Smee's feet. He picked it up and looked at her a little curious as she pushed her elbow into his side to remind him of something he had obviously forgotten.

"W-we have a long journey behind us", he stuttered and Emma rolled her eyes. The first mate really was good for nothing and if this would continue, he even might screw up their whole plan.

"So", one of the guards asked harshly.

"Might we take a rest here", Smee asked somehow encouraged by the unkindness of his opponent. He even smiled at him what was really surprising. Maybe he was a little masochist and she hadn't realized that before? Now that she thought about it. With Base and her it had been the same before when they had been fighting. Or was he just putting on an act and needed the unkindness to find his courage?

The guard looked them up and down as if he was trying to find out if they could cause any trouble inside the castle that would fall back on him. He exchanged a short glance with his colleague insecure about what to do. The other guard shrugged just as insecure as him and Emma already had a bad feeling. They wouldn't let them inside if they wouldn't be certain that it would be a good decision and Base would curse her for her stupid plan that didn't work out because Smee was too clumsy. Not that she cared about it, but she had a goal, hadn't she?

She whispered into her scarf while the guards were trying to decide what to do hoping the first mate would hear her, "open the bundle and get out some money. Play around with it so they can see it and smile."

"What", he asked confused and looked at her.

Emma sighed, "you need to make a subtle offer."

Smee opened the back without saying anything more and got out a silver coin.

"Take gold."

He looked at her as if she had hit him but followed her orders without saying anything. He flicked the golden coin to catch it again and every time he did, there was a metal sound that caught the guard's attention.

"Don't be too obvious", Emma assisted silently and focused on the men. She could almost see their thoughts running wild. They were torn between fear and greed.

The greed won, "fine. But we want a little reward for the risk."

The second guard walked up to his colleague as Smee tossed the coin at them hesitantly. It was quite hard for him to give up on the gold. It was almost ridiculous to watch it. She couldn't decide who was more greedy for a second, Smee or the guards who were waiting for more as it seemed.

She pushed his side once more and he disgorged another golden coin that he found in the bundle after searching through it for a second. The second guard caught it and they made free the way.

They had barely stepped inside the protecting wall as the door in the gate was almost slammed behind them. The sound of that had something final and Emma immediately felt like a caged lion. She looked around and pulled Smee away from the door where they would be spotted right away. The sneaked into the crowd and leaned at a wall so she could inspect the whole place. The castle was at the opposite side of the gate. It was a huge building made of grey and black stones, which showed off the king's power just as much as the immense walls with the gate that she had already noticed from outside earlier. From the castle there lead a bridge down to the market place where a gibbet had already been placed. It was surrounded by straw and barrels. All around that place at the wall there were houses and shops and close to the gate, there was a tavern. There weren't many people living here so the gate had to open for some time every day to keep the economy alive.

Smee stared at the gibbet and pushed her side. He was pale as he looked at her, "they've already placed it."

"To be honest I think they never put it down", she said and watched the people around them who seemed to be a little shy. They weren't talking much. In fact, it seemed like they were scared to do or to say something wrong even in here the place that was supposed to be their home. How much had the king changed since his daughter had escaped? Smee and Base had said that the people had been gossiping about her when Hook had come here for the first time. There had to had changed a lot if they didn't dare to anymore now. And the gibbet really was threatening even if it was just standing there.

"What now", Smee asked and looked around just like her. He was still nervous but since he didn't concentrate on the gibbet anymore he wasn't as pale as before.

"Now we search for the prison and try to find out if there has been someone else who was delivered here", Emma said and pushed herself off the wall, "the people won't talk with me like this, so you have to chat with them. But first you need to bring me into the prison so I can get out Base."

Smee frowned, "but if you're in there you can't know what I find out, can you? Do you really think it to be a good decision to separate even more?"

"You can follow", she said like it was nothing.

"And how am I supposed to get you in there", he asked worried and followed her across the place. She ignored him for a moment looking around until she found what she had been searching for. There was a door that was avoided by everyone and that door lead to the place below the bridge. Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer, huh?

"Use the money you earned."

"And what shall I say? The soldiers will want some reason for me to get inside there", he whispered worried, "not to mention you."

"Just tell them you want to check on your prisoner", she said and gave it a thought. He was right. It would only work for one of them, which meant she had to think of another way inside. Besides that, this excuse wouldn't allow her to search through the prison freely. The guards would make sure that she would just visit Base and everything would be for nothing.

The prisoners had to be nourished if they should suffer for a long time during their execution, right? At least they needed to be supplied with water when they were tortured. She had been imprisoned in the past, she knew it. Luckily, she had never been tortured back then. However, she had just been a little thief and a woman compared to Hook and what he had done it was nothing. She didn't even want to think about what was happening to him if he really was here. She even felt sorry for Base who had to suffer for his strength and his fighting spirit, which he was showing off for sure.

She walked into a corner and pulled back her hood to reveal her hair. She pulled it out of her cloak so it spread across its fabric and build a contrast to it that definitely would catch attention.

"What are you doing", Smee whispered worried, "what if somebody sees that? We might be caught as well."

"Nobody will", Emma stated, "the only people who saw us together and know anything about me being your partner are the two guards in front of that gate you just bribed. The canons on the walls are unguarded, you know?"

"How did you notice?"

"You would have never been able to bribe the guards if there would have been someone watching us", she explained and took off her cloak to wind it around her waist until it looked like a skirt, before she opened her blouse to create a decollate that hopefully would distract the guards from her strange attire enough. Smee stared at it, so it had to be good enough, "go and gather information. We meet inside or if I can handle it on my own you'll notice where to find us, I promise."

He nodded at her decollate before he snapped out of it and finally met her eyes again. They exchanged a short glance and he vanished between the people walking around and doing their work.

Emma grabbed a bucket standing around and walked up to the well to fill it with water as she noticed what she had expected to see. There women standing in front of the gate to the prison waiting for the doors to be opened so they could take care of the prisoners. It was strange that the women were taking care of it if she thought about it, but on the other hand they might be considered to be less dangerous considering someone could try to sneak inside to help someone escape like her now.

She took the filled bucket and carried it in front of her bally with both hands so the guards would think it to be too heavy and the would underestimate her strength. They didn't even ask who she was even though they had to know everyone of the other women by now. It was a little strange but she didn't care.

The prison was dark. There were screams coming from a place in the back but through the echo in this vault, it seemed like they were coming from everywhere what was quite threatening and confusing. She had had no idea just how lucky she had been with the prison Graham had freed her from back then until now. In addition, she felt quite guilty for sending Base in here. She felt as if she had used him as bait. Nevertheless, she didn't feel sorry for the prisoners she had delivered to places like this before. Most of them had deserved to be locked up and she just couldn't imagine that a mere thief would be tortured like this, right? At least not to this extend.

She followed the women banishing those dark thoughts until they reached the actual prison. King Frederic was cruel if he even send those women through the torture chamber first instead of simply using a back entrance that had to exist.

The women distributed to the doors that were to both sides of the small hall as far as one could see. They placed their foot and water in front of the doors so the imprisoned ones could reach through the small flap at the bottom of their doors to pull everything inside and exchange some words with the women.

Someone tipped on her shoulder and as she turned around a guard was looking down on her. For a long moment, she was more than worried. She had been standing in the middle of the hall without doing anything for too long because she had been too distracted by everything that was going on in here. Maybe she had caught too much attention.

The guard focused on her decollate for a long moment before he looked at the bucket with water and sighed, "so you're the new one. Let me show you the way. He isn't here."

Emma swallowed hard, "and where is he?" It wasn't difficult to act out a scared woman in here. She was very nervous and if she was honest, she really was scared of what was going on in here. His reaction just now didn't change anything about it. To be honest it even made it worse.

He didn't turn around to look at her but continued to lead her way as he answered her, "he is separated. Don't be scared by the dim light or him. I've heard he is actually quite charming when it comes to women."

"Is he hurt badly", she asked hesitantly. He couldn't know that she was actually worried for Hook after seeing all this if it really was Hook he was leading her to now. But her instincts told her that it had to be him. With all those guards in that town, it would have been easy for them to catch him even with his fighting skills if it really was true what everyone was saying. She had never seen him fight before now that she thought about it. But Nova had been right. There had to be a reason that he was the captain, right?

"Oh, don't worry. He hasn't been tortured yet", the soldier answered her questioned and she snapped out of it, "but he's been shot, which is the reason you must go inside. But don't worry. I'll be waiting in front of the door just in case something happens."

Emma rolled her eyes and she lied, "that's so relieving. Thank you."

"You know there has been another prisoner who's been brought today. Nobody knows him but he is supposed to be a thief."

"A thief", Emma asked even though she knew that he was talking about Base since they had lied about his identity when they had sold them just earlier, "is he tortured as well?"

"No", the soldier said, "at least not yet. They don't know what to do with him yet and the king doesn't focus on him at the moment. But he's quite an animal if you understand what I mean."

While he tried to impress her Emma couldn't help but smile about his choice of words to describe Base. If he really was still as angry with her as he had been in front of the gate, then it was quite matching. Worrisome was that he would cause quite some trouble if he would continue like this. Not to mention the attention he would catch through fighting too much.

They stopped in front of a black door and the soldier shoved some pieces of cloths into her hands, "you'll need it to take care of his wound. And take this as well."

Between the cloths, there was a small forceps he handed to her. It was black and rusty and she didn't even want to imagine what she was supposed to do with it. She had a very bad feeling about it.

The guard used the back of his sword to knock at the door, "stay away from the door, buddy."

There was no sound coming from inside and Emma exchanged a short glance with the guard who seemed very relaxed while she was worrying about the man inside. Why didn't he answer? Was he hurt that badly? What would she see if she would get inside? Was it really Hook or was she about to face some insane bandit or psychopath?

The room was very dark as she entered it and she was barely inside as the guard closed it behind her gently. The lock he closed didn't sound as encouraging. Emma immediately felt like an animal being caught in a small cage. She hated this feeling and she remembered it just too well from her six months in prison. She banished the memory and tried her best so her eyes would get used to the darkness. She could hear the sound of someone breathing further ahead, but she couldn't see anybody yet. She blinked and tried to clear her vision holding on to the bucket in her arms as if it was her only rescue while the forceps was weighing heavily in her right hand in which she was holding the cloths as well.

"Don't be so shy", a very familiar voice joked and she relaxed. It was Hook. She took a look back at the door to make sure the guard wasn't watching her as close to the door as she was and walked up to hook, carrying the bucket in her left hand now. She walked up to where she expected him to be until she was grabbed at her right wrist.

He laughed, "where are you going? I'm over here."

She let him pull her to the right until her leg hit something on knee height and stopped. It was a wall that he used as bed if she wasn't mistaken. It was very cold and wet since there was no light getting inside. Underneath her feet, she had heard something that had reminded her of straw and it had felt like it.

"Don't worry", Hook said almost secretive, "it takes some time to get used to the darkness. It was the same for me and I arrived tonight."

"And you're still not used to it if you don't recognize me", she smiled.

"Swan", she heard his cloths move as he stood up again and grabbed her shoulders to take a closer look, "what are you doing here?"

He was as close now as she could guess his features in the dark, "what do you think I'm doing here? You should rather tell me why the guard gave me cloths and a forceps. Are you hurt?"

He sighed, "it's nothing. Just a bulletin."

"Where?"

He sat down, "in my right shoulder. But now that you're here you can pull it out, right?"

Emma placed the bucket on the wall and as she looked at him again, she was able to recognize even more. It was impossible he hadn't seen her before, "I'm not so sure you'll still want me to do that if you see the forceps."

"That dirty?"

"Yes", she said and walked up to him. She stopped in front of him, "take off your cloak."

"Love, you should thank the king for putting me into such a dark cell or would m see me flustered now."

"Stop joking", Emma ordered and rolled her eyes, "I need to check the wound. And talk more silently or the guard will overhear us."

He stood up so they were standing chest to chest all of a sudden and grunted, "I guess I'll need a little help."

Emma looked up to him and grabbed his right arm to pull at the sleeve, "Base and Smee are here, too."

"I doubt you carried them along under your skirt", he joked and pulled in the air sizzling as he had to move his shoulder to help her taking the cloak off, "so where are they?"

"Base is imprisoned", Emma answered in a whisper and dropped the cloak on the wall beside the bucket, before she reached for his shoulder and pulled aside his shirt so she could see the wound, "that doesn't look good."

"Too bad", he answered, "and I thought I was quite handsome."

Emma rolled her eyes, "I need to bind it up."

"You're not going to pull out the bulletin", he said a little surprised, "and why is Base imprisoned as well?"

"No. If I pull it out I might not just worsen the wound but cause a bleeding that won't stop", she answered, "I've got nothing to make it stop and for now the bulletin is closing the wound. Besides that I can barely see you how am I supposed to take care of a bloody wound that's even darker than your face?"

He sighed and took off his vest, "why is Base imprisoned?"

"We had to get in here somehow", Emma shrugged and took a cloths to push it into the water, but was she was holding it above it, she hesitated. If the water were dirty, she would worsen everything. Nevertheless, it was water from the well so it had to be clean if the people living in the castle were drinking it. She made it wet.

Hook chuckled as he took off his shirt as well, "you sold him? I would have loved to see that."

"It wasn't as funny as you think", she said and cleaned the wound edges, "have you drank something yet?"

"No", he said close to her cheek and pulled in the air heavily when she came closer to the wound, "it wasn't funny? Don't fool with me. We're talking about Base."

"Okay", she admitted, "it was funny. But it would have been even better if the situation wouldn't be so serious."

"Worried for me, Swan?"

She looked at him and stopped in the middle of her movement, "do you know a way out of here?"

"Why do you think so", he met her eyes and she noticed how close he actually was once again.

"Because Smee and Base told me about your past with King Frederic", she answered and focused on his wound again. Hopefully the bulletin wasn't dirty.

Hook laughed, "oh that. I bet they didn't tell you everything."

"They did", Emma said unimpressed and reached for the rest of the cloths to bind up his shoulder hoping that it would help at least a little, "so do you know a way out?"

"I escaped when they opened the gate in the morning", he answered and looked at her hands while she was taking care of the bandage, "but I doubt they're still opening it as long as they did back then."

"After you sneaked in here", she asked and held out his shirt to him, "for sure not. But when I got in here earlier I noticed that the merchants were almost done building up their shops. It can't take long anymore."

"Good", he said and looked at the opened shirt that was hanging from his chest like a blanket thrown over his shoulders, "would you mind?"

"Where is your hook", she asked surprised and reached for his shirt to button it again.

"I guess the guard in front of my door might be able to help", he said and frowned as he noticed what she was looking like, "Swan, why are you…"

"What?"

He shook his head, "forget it. How do we find Smee and Base?"

"Smee should already be looking for Base and if I'm not mistaken he'll get him out", Emma answered hoping that she would be right about this. They hadn't talked about it nor had they agreed on a time to escape before. Everything could turn out horrible if Smee would be too scared to what he needed to do or too dump to take Base along.

She waited until he had put on his vest before she closed it as well and helped him back into his cloak. She was feeling a lot better with him dressed again even in this situation, what was strange. She shouldn't even be wondering about it now, "drink something. Before we get out."

"And how?"

"I'll scream, the guard will come to my rescue and you knock him out with that bucket", she explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why do I have to knock him out", he smiled, "do you want to be rescued that badly?"

"No, but I'll use the time to search for your hook outside", she explained and stepped away from him, "and besides that it would be nice if nobody would notice us, wouldn't it?"

"Do you know where Base is", he said and swallowed the water he was ladling with his hands out of the bucket, "could turn out to be difficult if we won't meet the others. We'll need to be fast, if we want to escape alive and together."

"As soon as we're out of this cell we search for the backdoor where you'll wait for us, while I search for the others."

"What if someone sees me", he asked worried.

"They won't if you're dressed like that guard", she answered. She was quite good at this if she considered that she was coming up with it just now. She had never planned it to turn out like this before but now that she had to answer his questions she came up with a quite good plan, wasn't she?

"Well then, Love", he said and walked to her with the bucket in his hand, "I guess it's time to scream."

He emptied the water on the pavement to their feet and grinned.

* * *

Hook sighed and rolled his eyes, "that's all you've got? Love, you really should try a little harder."

"I hate to be the damsel in need."

"Well, I can't do that job, sorry."

Emma swallowed and screamed again. She felt ridiculous but she knew that it was necessary for the plan, the plan she had come up with herself.

"That's still too silently. Do you hear that noise out there? How is he supposed to hear you like that?"

"But we need to be careful. We don't want his friends to show up as well, do we?"

Hook looked at her as if she was ridiculous, "no, but like this only a dog would hear it. Put a little more effort into it."

More effort? He couldn't be serious, could he? Fine, he was right. She was ridiculous but just because she didn't feel well in this situation. She had spent way too much time being independent to be in such a situation now. She had no idea how to scream for help since she usually was the one helping. She glared at him and really screamed but not out of fear but out of frustration, what surprised him so he winced and made her smile with it, "better like that?"

Hook looked at the door just as it was opened, "why don't you ask him?"

The guard came running for her rescue a sword in his right hand. He froze in his steps as he noticed her waving at him almost flirtingly while she was standing in the middle of the room totally relaxed if he could really see her in the darkness at all. He frowned and made a step towards her as he was knocked out by Hook who had been waiting behind the door. The hit was as hardly as the bucket broke.

However, just as she had feared he wasn't alone but had brought another guard along who wasn't happy to see his colleague lying on the ground unconscious at all. In fact, he pulled his sword and ran for Hook, who barely avoided the attacks directed at him, unguarded as he was. They rushed through the cell while Emma ran up to the unconscious guard, wrest his sword from his grip and threw it at Hook, who was holding the guard's hand with his sword while he was throttled. He kicked him and rolled up to the sword lying in the straw close to them and they started to duel.

Even though she would have loved to watch their fight until the end, Emma sneaked out of the door and shut it silently hoping that it would dam the noise before she searched through the things lying in a corner near the door. There were empty bottles, a bucket with water, dirty dishes and cloths, a blanket, a pair of cups and behind all that at a wall were hanging cloaks beside a sword in a dark scabbard and a hook. She grab them both and ran for the door as it was opened from inside and Hook almost crushed into her.

Emma winced, looked over her shoulder and shoved him back inside despite his confused reaction. She handed his hook to him and waited until it was back in place before she gave him back his sword, "you need to disguise as a guard. Hurry up."

He sighed, "I really don't like that fashion style."

"You really don't have a choice, remember? So hurry up while I take the other one outside", she walked up to the men lying on the ground, took a closer look at them and chose the one who hadn't been stabbed before she grabbed his arms and pulled. He didn't move even the tiniest bit. She let go of the right arm and concentrated only on his left one to pull again, but it didn't change anything, "why on earth is he so heavy."

Hook laughed as he placed the blue hat on his head and put on the matching blue cloak, "let me help you."

He walked up to her and grabbed the other arm and together they pulled the man outside putting him in a sitting position before they shut the door and locked the other one inside. Then they used some of the dirty cloths to gag the unconscious man and to bind him. The gag they covered by folding up the huge collar of his cloak, before they hurried down the hall passing several guards and doors until they were standing in the torture chamber. The noise was even worse here and Emma felt sick as she noticed the blood on the pavement and heard the sound of breaking bones and screaming men. It was an awful place and she whished she was already outside.

Hook seemed to notice something was off as he placed his hand on her shoulder to support her, "you should get out of here, Love."

She starred at him over her shoulder in disbelieve, "what? We have a plan and we stick to it. I'll go and get Base and Smee."

"No, I'll do that", he said and pulled her out of the way as a guard pushed a prisoner into the hall they had just left behind. The prisoner was injured badly but still the guard didn't show any mercy. Hook looked after them for a short second before he continued focusing on her again, "you don't need to put on an act. It's okay if you can't stand this."

"What?"

When had she said that she couldn't stand it? Had she shown any sign? Had there been anything that would have shown off just how much she despised all this? She didn't have a problem with it or at least she didn't want him to know. He shouldn't think that she was weak like any other woman. She didn't need him to underestimate her, did she? It would be better if he would know that she was strong so he wouldn't have to find out the hard way what could damage their partnership.

"Don't be so hard on you", he said as if he had listened to her thoughts.

Emma snorted and turned to look at him, "you're hurt. If it comes down to a fight-"

"Don't underestimate me", he said and leaned into her, "relax. One might think you care about me."

She starred at the wall behind him. She was speechless. It was exactly what Rumpelstiltskin had been accusing her of. It really was a stupid coincidence that he would imply the same now, wasn't it? And thinking of Rumpelstiltskin she remembered what she had forgotten about in this whole mess, which was that Hook hadn't told her everything and that she might not be able to really trust him. However, she couldn't need those assumptions now nor the doubts in her heart that came along with it.

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to tell him that they would stick to the plan and she would take care of Base and Smee as a guard approached them and started to talk with Hook, "hey, stop flirting. The others are already gone so why is she still here?"

"She is feeling sick", Hook answered and held on to her like he needed to support her, "she can't see blood I guess."

The guard frowned at them for a short moment before he sighed and rolled his eyes, "women. Then you better take her out through the back. There's just been an accident in here and there is a lot of blood on the ground."

"What happened?"

"Just some jerk who thought it to be funny to attack Grill", the soldier said darkly, "he lost his left hand."

Emma acted as if she needed to throw up and caught the man's attention again. The guard seemed to feel quite sorry for her, "you really should take her through the back", he said pointing over his shoulder, "and hurry up. We don't need anybody to find out about it, do we?"

He left them alone as there was another ruckus in the torture chamber that caught everyone's attention and more guards ran up to it just like him. Emma leaned back and looked at Hook who smiled down at her, "you see? It's better if I do it. And thanks to you we know where the other door is now."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lead her through the room into another hall. It was small and very short. The lock at the door he simply opened with his hook and then he shoved her outside.

Emma waited for a short second before she decided it would be better to hide somewhere where she could see both this door and the gate and where nobody would think it to be awkward that she was waiting for someone. She found a corner where she was all alone except for the people passing by. They seemed to be in a hurry as they walked up to their booths to fill the last baskets and boxes. If they were in such a hurry, the gate had to be opened soon. Hopefully Hook and the others would hurry up and get out soon or they might miss their opportunity to escape. She had a bad feeling about that gate. At first, she had thought the soldiers would open it up for the day but what if they only opened it to let the merchants and some people from around the castle in and lock them all up in here until they would be done? Was that possible? But it didn't matter because as soon as they would notice that Base and even worse Hook were on the run, they would close it again for sure.

She sighed and turned her head to look at the door again as she noticed something that surprised and confused her. At the other end of the yard there was Smee leaning at the wall and looking at his boots as if he was bored. He seemed to be totally relaxed even though he was supposed to be in the prison to get Base out. Maybe he had been too scared or he just hadn't made it inside because he couldn't bribe the guards, but that didn't explain his relaxed attitude. Shouldn't he be as worried and nervous as her? No, he should be even more nervous and worried than her after everything she had found out about him during this trip. Should she walk up to him and ask him?

No, it wouldn't be of any use for them and she might miss Hook and Base if she would do that. There was a loud sound coming from the gate as it was opened and people with carriages and baskets entered the yard. It was time to escape. Just where were Hook and Base? Had they been noticed? Had they been imprisoned again? She looked at Smee again really nervous now. He walked towards the gate as if it was the most ordinary thing to do for him now. Was he really just letting them down? Seriously? She couldn't believe this.

He talked with the guard they had bribed to get inside before just as there was a huge ruckus coming from the prison gate followed by an explosion that made the door shake. Emma had the strange feeling they wouldn't come through the backdoor as they had planned them to. She pulled her knife from her belt and ran up to it ignoring all the people starring at it just as the gate flew open and Hook and Base appeared in the entrance. Base stumbled across the door that had been crushed on the ground as if he had pushed it open using his shoulder, while Hook protected his back using his sword. From the explosion, there were many guards lying unconscious on the ground but the rest of them who had just been slightly hurt gave Hook a hard time fighting them off. Emma ran up to them and pulled Base back to his feet, who seemed slightly confused, before she knocked out a guard approaching them from behind.

Base snapped out of it and threw a bar from the door at the soldiers barely missing Hook, what bought them enough time to give it a run for the gate. On their way, the captain noticed Smee and yelled for him to come along. Luckily, the guards hadn't been able to close the gate because of the people passing through it yet so it was easy for them to get out of the castle. To pass the fields in front of it on the other hand was far more dangerous since there was nothing where they could hide and there were still the canons on the wall to both sides of the gate.

"Where do we go now", Emma yelled running beside Hook who grinned even though it was obvious that his shoulder was hurting a lot. If she wasn't mistaken there was even blood coming from it again even through the bandage she had made earlier.

"Up that hill and back to the ocean", Hook answered and looked back at the canons, "they are following us."

"Don't worry", Base grunted, "they can't shoot at us. The canons can't reach as far as we've already come."

"Why didn't they already shoot", Smee gasped and stumbled after them. This seemed the worst for him. He was quite exhausted and had a hard time to keep up with them. He was stumbling as if he had sprained his ankle and his face was all sweaty.

"Because of the people around us", Hook answered as they finally reached the rock they had been hiding at earlier this morning. They rushed through the forest following Hook's lead until they reached a small bight that was surrounded by trees and bushes and in the water was floating the Jolly Roger. The sun was playing on the water all around it and mate it shine.

The men started to climb down to her, while Emma simply starred at the ship in disbelieve, "how did you know it was here?"

Hook grinned, "I just did."

"Hook?"

"I showed Blackpool this place on the map before I left the ship just in case something would happen. It's a precaution I always make. And when Smee, Base and me leave the Jolly Roger it's Blackpool who takes care of meeting us again", he said and searched for a small way she hadn't even noticed until he had started to walk on it. She followed him not without noticing that he wasn't moving his right shoulder and she was certain if he still would have had his left hand he would have been holding it now.

They entered the ship and set sail while someone took care of Smee's and Base's wounds. Hook, who had hidden the fact that he was injured himself, lead her back to his quarters, while Blackpool did his best to lead the Jolly Roger out of the bight again.

* * *

Okay, I hope you'll also enjoy the next chapter. I'll upload it soon.

Thank you for reading so far.

:-)


	10. Unexpected

9\. Unexpected

Emma closed the door behind her back and leaned at it watching Hook walking up to his desk to take a seat. He was very exhausted as far as she could judge and she couldn't blame him for it. She would have bet that he hadn't slept even a little for the past twenty-four hours just like her and the others, but his wound was troubling him on top of that.

He reached for a bottle of rum and took off the cork with his teeth which he spilled through the room before he said cheers into her direction, "home sweet home, I'd say", and drank.

Emma walked up to him, "do you really think that is the right thing to do now?"

"What else", he asked and watched her walking up to him as if he had just noticed something that totally caught his attention. He bit his lower lip before he looked at the bottle again.

"Weren't you searching for new mates", she asked and took the bottle out of his hand to drink herself, "what about that for example?"

"Unimportant. I just needed an excuse to land here", he said and watched her drinking, "I didn't want the men to know why I was landing here."

"And why did you land here", she asked wiping her mouth with the back of the hand she was holding the bottle with, "what were you doing before you got shot?"

"Gathering information", he said and held out her hand in a wordless demand for the bottle. Again, he wasn't moving his shoulder or his arm. He just turned around his hand so she could see his palm.

"What information", Emma asked and took another sip knowing that it would anger him, but she didn't care. She was angry, too. He hadn't just hidden information from her but had also put them in danger. On top of that, Rumpelstiltskin's words echoed in her mind and the doubts started to glow in her heart again. She was sick of knowing nothing and stumbling from danger to danger like a newborn deer just because he wasn't sharing information with her.

"By the way you really should take care of that wound", she added angrily and pointed at his shoulder using the bottle of rum again.

Hook snorted angrily just as she had wanted him to, "my shoulder is fine. Would you just give me that bottle?"

"Sure", she shrugged as if it wasn't any problem at all and held it out to him, "take it."

He was annoyed as he stretched his arm to reach for it but he was even more annoyed as he winced back because he couldn't stand the pain that little movement caused in his shoulder. He grunted and turned his hand into a fist, while his hook bored into the armrest of his chair because he couldn't use it to reach for his shoulder without hurting himself.

"Yeah, I see. It's perfectly fine", Emma said sarcastically and earned an angry glare for her words. She placed the bottle on the desk but out of his reach and walked up to a box with old cloths and blankets she had noticed when she had gotten on board and had tried to find out more about him.

"What are you doing", he asked angrily and she could almost feel the angry glare with witch he was looking at her back.

Emma didn't answer him but got out a thin white cloths which she ripped in two long peaces before she took off the cloak she had still bound around her waist, grabbed a knife and a candle and walked up to him again. She lit the candle and held the knife above it, as she tossed the bottle at Hook, "drink. You'll need it."

"What are you going to do", he asked and took the bottle without arguing about the drinking part. He wanted to numb the pain more than anything but the knife above the small fire of the candle made him slightly nervous.

"What does it look like", Emma asked and looked at his wound, "you need to take of that shirt or I won't be able to get out the bulletin."

"Didn't you say you had nothing to close the wound with", he asked as he took off his cloak, "I don't see anything you could use for that yet, Love."

"That's because I don't", she answered uninterested and avoided to look at him as he took off his vest and reached for the bottoms of his shirt, "but Blake is getting me something I can use."

"Blake", Hook asked surprised and stopped in his hopeless attempts to open his shirt without damaging it. In the cell, he had been able to do it because his wound hadn't hurt as much as now, but now the pain was unbearable even for that small movement.

"Yeah, I asked him for it while you were making your commands", she said and placed the knife on a stripe of the clean cloths before she turned to look at him, "need a helping hand?"

"Think that's funny?"

Emma grinned and got herself the only other chair in the room so she could sit while taking care of his wound as the door opened and Blake stumbled inside, "I've got it."

"Blake didn't you forget something", Hook scolded him impolitely.

"Thank you", Emma said ignoring the captain and took the needle and the yarn from the very confused and nervous pirate, "are Base and Smee fine?"

"Aye", the pirate said silently and smiled at her as he met her kind expression. He seemed to be relieved to see that she wasn't angry with him because he hadn't knocked at the door but simply rushed inside, "I-I'll get back on deck", he stopped and nodded in Hook's direction, "Sir."

Emma closed the door behind him and turned to look at Hook who was still trying to open his shirt unsuccessfully, what seemed to annoy him even more, "so my pirates are listening to you now?"

"Who said that", she asked and walked up to him to take a seat in the chair she had placed in front of him earlier.

"Base said you'd been ordering them around", he said and took another sip of the bottle. It was empty now but he still wasn't drunk, "behind those books there is another one."

Emma looked at him in surprise, "you're hiding them in your own quarters?"

"Not hiding", he said, "I'm just sparring some for special occasions. That's not the same."

"Certainly."

"So what about Base", Hook asked and watched her opening the bottle for him while he tried to open his shirt again. He was curious and if she wasn't mistaken, there was something in his voice that didn't approve of the possibility that she could get along with his men. But she couldn't understand why. Maybe it was just her imagination.

He had given up trying to open it without ripping it apart. Therefore, thanks to his impatience and his anger he really wanted to damage his shirt now. She placed the bottle on the desk and sat down, before she pushed away his hand just in time, "let me do that, okay. Just drink."

He looked at her for a long moment, swallowed hard and reached for the bottle, "so?"

"I didn't order them around", she said unbuttoning the upper half of his shirt, "they were wasting time with arguing so I made the decision. It's not like I could order around Base of all people."

"And Blake", he asked watching her fingers with a grin.

"What is your problem", she looked up to him and stopped in her movement. He was still looking at her fingers that were holding on to his shirt for a long moment as if he was thinking about something before he looked up to her. He didn't answer her but took another sip from his bottle. Then he snorted as if he was frustrated.

Emma reached for the last button upon his trousers and was stopped by Hook's hand that grabbed for hers. She looked up to him but he wasn't looking at her but only at her fingers once again. She frowned pushing down an awkward feeling. There was nothing to feel awkward about. She was just helping him to take care of his wound, nothing more. It was meaningless and innocent. And still there was a sensation that confused her. But even more confusing was his behavior. In one moment, he was annoyed and in the next, she had the impression that she had mistaken his frustration for annoyance but she couldn't tell why he would be frustrated at all. And than the little fact that he focused weather on her hands or her face while he seemed to avoid looking at her except for those spots. Even though she didn't have a problem with that, it was strange that he wouldn't treat her as usual. And now this.

It was obvious he wouldn't answer her question anymore and she was almost certain he wouldn't explain his reaction now, so she changed the subject, "can you pull the shirt off your right arm now?"

Hook, who snapped out of his thoughts, stood up and tried to pull it off his left arm so it would be less painful since he could move it freely and easier to get out the right one, but it didn't work. The shirt stretched above his back and moved but it wouldn't come off or allow to pull out even a single arm.

"It's no use", he said frustrated and reached for the lower half of it to pull it out of his trousers. While it was easy for him in the front, it was more difficult on his back, so she told him to turn around and pulled it out herself. He didn't really seem to like it, but allowed her to open the last buttons, before she helped him to take the shirt off completely.

She gently pushed him back in the chair and looked into his eyes, "are you ready?"

He took another deep sip from the rum before he looked up to her, "if you mean if I'm drunk then I've got to disappoint you. I'm not."

Emma sat down again and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "then hurry up."

He chuckled and took another deep sip from his rum, "I don't think this will be enough to get me drunk."

"Too bad", she stole the bottle out of his grip and let a few drops of the liquid inside drop on a cloths, "but in that case I don't need to wait any longer."

She put off the bandage, which she had made in the prison cell and was stopped by Hook yet again. He wrapped his hook around her right wrist and looked up to her, "are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Emma frowned. So this was all of this about. He was scared she might do something wrong. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes but stayed serious feeling that he would need support more than irony now. She even felt a little guilty since while he had been worrying about her skills in helping him and curing his injury she had been thinking about his chest and his warm skin and about him being so close to her that she became a little nervous.

"I wouldn't have survived if I hadn't been able to do something like that", she answered and gently freed her hands, "just relax and try not to move."

She disinfected the wound around the bulletin with the alcohol-soaked cloth carefully and softly but it made him wince anyway. He sighed in frustration since he couldn't even drink anymore, because his injured shoulder belonged to the arm with his hand.

"It'll hurt now", she warned him as she took the knife she had held upon the candle to disinfect earlier, "but please, remember not to move too much."

"Where did you learn that", he asked before he winced back as she stitched the knife slowly into the injury to open it up a little more and pull out the bulletin with the tip of her knife.

"More rum", she asked without stopping her work.

"Even if I wanted, I can't", he said and held up his hook, "remember? So, where did you learn it?"

"Graham taught me", she answered and finally got it out, "it was one of the first things I learned after I met him."

"I see", he said and wrapped his hook around her wrist as she held up the bulletin. He looked at it for a long time before he looked up into her eyes and there suddenly was a tension between them that she could have cut with the knife she was still holding in her hand. He was way too close but for some reason she didn't evade from it. She returned his glance losing herself in his from alcohol a little clouded eyes and forgotten were the doubts Rumpelstiltskin had planted and the anger about him not telling her everything. There was just him and this tension between them.

"I was wondering", he said slowly and silently as his gaze dropped to her lips. He leaned in closer and she could feel his breath on her lips. He came closer and she watched him and allowed him to invade her personal space more than ever before without wincing back or even thinking about it. Her heart beat faster and her ears turned hot and tickled. Not even the cold metal of his hook around her wrist seemed to cool her. She narrowed her eyes more out of reflex then of actually deciding to kiss him. She stopped to breathe and opened her mouth that turned very dry.

"Chrm."

They winced back as if they had snapped out of sleep and starred at the door, where Smee was standing. They hadn't even noticed that he had come inside and now he was standing in the doorframe looking to the ground like he was ashamed or something.

"What", Hook snapped at him and his voice sounded even more upset than before with Blake. He focused on the first mate and only stopped looking at him as he noticed that Emma freed her wrist from his hook to place the bulletin on the desk. She didn't listen to their words anymore. Her blood was pulsating in her ears and the thoughts that had vanished into nothing before crushed back into her together with her doubts. She found herself scolding her for forgetting it and stepping into his trap. It just had been so sudden, that she hadn't been able to react to it, as she would have usually done it. But at the same time, it had seemed to be the same for him. He hadn't planned to approach her like this. Yes, she really believed he had been just as unprepared as her. Only his reaction to it was different as always. He didn't have a problem with it unlike her. He had nothing that stopped him like she was stopped by her prior experiences.

But if they were reacting to each other like that without either of them intending something where was it supposed to take them? Why did that happen anyway? It was not as she was in love with him or something and she was certain that it was the same for him. But she felt addicted to him. That wouldn't have been a problem, if it wouldn't have been as strong as this. It scared her that she would react to him like that just by getting close to him. What would happen if it would happen again and they wouldn't be interrupted like up to now?

She focused on the wound that was bleeding again now that she had pulled out the bulletin. She picked up the needle, sterilized it upon the candle's fire and started to stitch up the wound when she noticed that nothing needed to be sewed inside of it. He had been more than lucky as far as she could tell, but she wasn't a doctor, was she?

He winced again as she stitched the needle into his flesh for the first time, "ooch."

She looked up to him just to notice that Smee had left again.

"Don't be a cry-baby", she said almost unfriendly but she still hadn't dealt with the situation between them just now. She got a hold on it, "better tell me why we had to come here."

Hook focused on her hands again and avoided to look at her face as if he didn't want to repeat that situation as well, "I wanted to refill our stocks and give the crew the opportunity to spend some time in a tavern. Besides that I hoped to get an idea on how we could continue now."

"And King Frederic?"

"I had forgotten about him", he admitted as if it had been bad luck, "but this incident hadn't been for nothing. I found out something that might help us. There is something that could help us to get back."

"And what is this something?"

"It's something we need to steal", he said, "the prisons' guards were talking about it quite a lot and Frederic is still as full of himself as he likes to talk about everything in front of everyone, if he believes to have won. He received an invitation from King Klaus. I'll tell you everything in detail later. Are you done?"

"Not yet", she said and disinfected the wound once more before she bound it up with the clean cloths she had brought along before, "what happened to princess Marleen?"

Now he looked at her in surprise, "you know?"

"Base and Smee told me", she answered, "so?"

Hook sighed, "the king just told me that she married her farmer what upset him more than anything just like I had intended it to happen."

"So you really wanted her to end up with him", she looked at him in surprise.

He raised an eyebrow as he noticed her reaction and chuckled, "it was more of a side-effect, Love. I'm not the type of guy caring about stuff like that. Don't misunderstand me."

"That's more what I expected", she stood up, "I'm done."

He watched her picking up the needle and the rest of the cloths before he stood up and grabbed her wrist to stop her, "before I forget it. Thank you."

Emma looked at him in surprise. It was strange that he would thank her so genuinely and she didn't like what it made her feel like. She freed her wrist once again and walked up to the chest where she had gotten the cloths from to put the rest of them back, "what for?"

"For saving me", he said and watched her as if he wanted to study her. He sighed, but she ignored it. As he understood she wouldn't react to it like he had wanted her to he said, "I've come up with an idea, but there is something I need to know first."

Emma finally looked at him, "what is it?"

She had a very bad feeling about this. If he came up with something, it usually wasn't something she liked. Actually, it usually caused trouble for her.

"Can you dance?"

"What", she starred at him.

Hook just grinned enjoying the situation a little too much for her taste. Nevertheless, it seemed everything was back to normal again and that was something she was glad about.

* * *

"I just don't understand what dancing should have to do with finding the prince", she moaned for maybe the third time now.

"You do want to find Prince Henry, don't you?"

Just like always, when he was talking about the prince she was remembering their conversation about her possible true identity and her latest run in with Rumpelstiltskin. And even though she didn't believe it to be true, the fact that he considered it to be possible just like the wizard and that the boy they were looking for might be her brother was frightening her more than their run in with Cora.

The moment he had seen that bean lying in her hand Hook had come up with a plan somehow and it seemed to be a good one even though she didn't know everything about it yet. They had spent the whole week sitting together in his quarters or simply on deck of the Jolly Roger playing with ideas and throwing them at each other like kids playing with a ball. It had been entertaining, useful, productive and sometimes quite weird when she had noticed him watching her like she was not just a wandering curiosity because of her newly found powers that had never shown up again ever since that one time but…a woman.

She knew that look. She had seen it in someone else's eyes before back then when she had been young and blinded by love but never had the Captain looked at her like that before. She was a little afraid when he did. She, Emma Swan, the thief, bounty hunter, fighter of evil witches and now maybe even missing princess and savior who was always ready to fight and could take on several men on her own, who had learned not just to attack and fight but to protect others and to defend herself and who was able to use reflex points for that when she wasn't suddenly using magic she had never known she had at all, was afraid of a man noticing her as a woman all of a sudden. It was more than ridiculous. She knew that.

It had happened before. Sometimes she had even used it to her advantage in the past when she had hunted for a bounty. But with Hook it was different somehow. He was always too close, they were a team, he was a pirate so he was almost equal to the person who had betrayed her in the past and she didn't trust him. Besides that, she had sworn to herself to never start something with a partner again.

But…at the same time he might be the one person in all those past years who could actually be dangerous for her and that was the biggest problem about this. She had seen it. He definitely was dangerous for her if she forgot everything around them just like those days ago when she had mended his wound. It made her feel weak and it scared her of herself that he would have such an impact on her.

However, right now she had to face an entirely different problem. This wasn't the time to think about stuff like that but to face a real problem.

"Can you even dance", she asked and grinned, "you know, I don't want to learn anything weird that will catch everyone's attention because it's not anything close to what they'd call dancing."

He grinned looking through her words, "like what for example?"

"Mh…", she gave it a thought and tried to stay serious while she whished he hadn't asked any further, "something like jumping through the room and", her eyes fell on Smee who was fishing and tried to pull up the line to get a fish out of the water. He failed and almost lost his route. He made it just in time to jump forward and grab it tighter. After that, he shook his arms to get back his balance, but if it wouldn't have been for Base, he would have fallen from board in the process.

She just couldn't understand the first mate. One time he was way too clumsy and scared to have that position at all and another time he was almost scarily serious and surprising confident. And then there was his behavior at King Frederic's castle. She still hadn't found out why on earth he hadn't sneaked inside the prison as well or why he had been as relaxed as he had been when she had noticed him. Not to mention that she still wasn't certain if he had tried to get away without them.

Hook followed her glance and noticed him as well. He still didn't know anything about all that and believed Smee's words when it came to the question why he hadn't tried to save Base. The pirate had been the first one to address that matter towards the first mate and the explanation had been, that they just hadn't let him in as Hook had told her. She regretted that she hadn't been around when they had discussed it.

As Hook looked at her again, she simply raised an eyebrow as if she wanted to say, "you see?"

"No", he stated seriously and pointed at his clumsy first mate, "it's nothing like that."

"Really", Emma said darkly and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "do you even know it yourself?"

"Who do you think I am, Love", he said almost offended and reached for the map on the floor between them to place another mark on it, "I'm a pirate not a cheap little thief."

Emma swallowed hard. Once upon a time, she had been what he understood under such a cheap little thief. Even though she wasn't a thief anymore and she knew he hadn't meant to hurt her pride she still felt a stitch in her heart.

"And still", she said slowly and carefully so he wouldn't notice her hurt pride because she knew it was ridiculous, "why should a pirate know anything about dancing?"

"Oh, pirates can dance", he simply said and kept looking at the map as if he was checking if everything was marked right.

"I'm not talking about hopping through a tavern completely drunk and with a woman at each arm", she stated soundless.

Hook stared at her in surprise just as if he saw her for the first time for a moment before he burst into laughter, "where did you get this from?"

Emma rolled her eyes, "I saw it myself for many times. Even with some of your men."

His laughter vanished but an amused smile remained on his lips, "one could think you were jealous."

She frowned, "of what?"

His smile turned into a knowing grin as he stood up and searched the deck for someone. It was obvious he wouldn't answer her. And nothing could have shocked her more than the person he yelled for next, "Base."

While the huge man looking just as a bear approached them, Emma got to her feet suggesting the worst, "what are you up to?"

He raised an eyebrow, "afraid?"

"Slightly worried."

After a long moment standing close together and sizing each other, he sighed, "look. No matter how you turn it, you need to learn it or our plan will be nothing but trash. And Base here, randomly is a very good dancer."

Emma raised an eyebrow and looked up and down the pirate who was approaching them now. She had kicked his ass before as he had tried to kill her and ever since he had been her biggest problem on board of the Jolly Roger without considering her run in with Cora and their break in into Snow White's and Charming's castle and King Frederic's prison. He was always watching her just as if he was hoping to find a weakness and always provoking her so he would have an excuse for his actions in front of his captain since he couldn't be blamed for protecting himself of an insane and dangerous woman, could he?

Fine those actions had changed after they had saved Hook, but he was still watching her and it was obvious that he didn't trust her at all. Even though she couldn't understand why she had the bad feeling that she might never be able to convince him to be worth his trust. But it maybe it wouldn't be necessary. They had been working together to free Hook perfectly even without him trusting her and it had worked out. Fine, she had sold him to the guards but she had helped to free him again later on, too, hadn't she? Moreover, as long as he wouldn't want to kill her or throw her off the Jolly Roger it should be fine, right?

However, even before that it had taken her weeks to earn at least a little of his respect and she still wasn't certain that she had fully succeeded even after everything that had happened. There was no way she would allow him to laugh about her if she would screw up weather because she would be just too clumsy or because he would just not teach her properly. There was no way she would risk what she had achieved in the past time because if she would lose his respect it would be gone forever. There wasn't something like a fresh start for those matters. If it would be gone, he would just anger her with her clumsiness over and over again and just as usual, the whole crew would imitate him.

"Oh", Emma said as if she actually wanted to say something else and looked away from Hook just like she was avoiding to meet his eyes. She didn't want him to notice how much she questioned this decision even though it was written all over her face. She knew it would be pointless to argue with him like a little kid, so she tried something else.

She hadn't done it in a very long time, but she knew that it could work if it was done right and the man reacted to it as expected. She wasn't the only one using psychologically weapons of a woman to get what she wanted. It was just, she had no idea how he would react to it. He used to surprise her but now she really couldn't need that. She could only hope it would work.

It did, "what?"

Hook's entire attention was focused on her all of a sudden just as if she had pushed a trigger. Base, who had reached them by now, seemed to be totally forgotten even though he talked to his captain in a respectful manner, "sir?"

"Well", she said slowly and turned away from Base leaving her unprotected back to the tall pirate what she usually never did trying to keep their conversation a little more private, "after you were talking so much about dancing I actually believed you knew quite a lot about it."

"I can dance, if it's that what you mean", he said carefully and kept an eye on her. He already knew that she was up to something, but he didn't know what it was.

"Well, considering how important this seems to be for our plan and that you entrust Base with teaching me, you must be quite bad at it, don't you?"

It was interesting to see his pride competing with his wish not to step into her trap. It was as if she could see the cogwheels running wild behind his eyes while he made a decision about how to react to her words. She was nervous until she heard him say, "I'm not."

"But if this part of the plan really is that important than one might think that you would let me be taught by the best and that would be Base then. Which means he is better at dancing than you?"

Hook glared at her and frowned. First, she blamed him to be a bad dancer and then she declared he had to be worse than one of his mates. Maybe all that was a little too much for his pride. But she didn't care about his pride. All she wanted was to learn it as far away from Base as possible on board of the Jolly Roger, if she really had to learn it. He still hadn't told her what all this was about so she still didn't get the importance of all of this. All she knew was that she had to attend a ball with him, which meant she had to dance at least according to his words. She knew that he wanted to sneak into a castle to get something that would help them in the future but she had no idea what it was or what they would need it for. The entire time they had been talking about this had just been about getting into that stupid castle of which she didn't even know whom it owned yet. They had talked about emergency cases and what they would have to do if they would be separated. He had heard about the ball at the harbor where he had been caught by King Frederic and ever since there hadn't been anything, he had been thinking about. Not even his wound had mattered to him while she had hesitated to take care of it every day, afraid he could suddenly snap out of his thoughts and focus on her as he had done it, when she had taken care of it the first time again.

Maybe this whole dancing thing was even worse than she had thought it to be. It wasn't just out of question that Base would teach her but very dangerous to have Hook do it. What if he would be too close again and nobody would interfere as usual? But what was worse? To have Base lose his respect for her and have the men seeing her clumsy attempts of learning it or to be way too close to Hook not just in a physically way? No, she would be able to deal with Hook somehow, she knew it.

Suddenly Hook smiled widely and she knew that she had played, bet and lost, "don't worry. He is perfect for this job. He won't teach you anything weird."

She sighed and gave it one last try, "fine. But actually I was wondering…"

"What", he said annoyed by now. He had totally misunderstood her first attempts of making him teach her. He had understood it as some stupid fear to look ridiculous, so now she had to change that.

"Well, is it even necessary that I learn it, if you're not good enough yourself? I mean, if you're not good enough at dancing to teach me, we might catch too much attention on that ball when we're noticed negatively through it. Is it really necessary to follow that part of the plan?"

Hook gritted his teeth and his mouth turned into a thin and strict line. When he finally talked with Base coming up with some stupid excuse for calling him earlier, he kept glaring at Emma as if he would lose a bet if he would break their eye contact, "Base, tell the men to scrap the deck. I don't want to catch rats with the Jolly Roger the next time we anchor."

"Aye, Sir", the pirate said and looked at them bewildered before he turned around and spread the latest order to his mates. Smee, who was standing at the steering wheel now, frowned as he heard Base giving commands instead of him. It was strange since he was the first mate after all.

However, he didn't have much time to wonder about it, "Mr. Smee, direction south-south-west. And don't disturb me if it's not ultimately necessary."

"Aye, Sir", the first mate answered and even though Emma did not break their eye contact, she was certain that she noticed not just interest but also curiosity in his gaze with which he was watching them, as she saw out of the corners of her eyes.

"Come on", Hook said and led her back to his quarters the map caught in his hand, while his men watched them with curiosity. She ignored them. She didn't give a damn about what they might think about them, as long as their respect for her wouldn't be destroyed. And she was certain that she had just saved it perfectly.

She already knew that she was an awful dancer. Graham had tried to teach her once before and he had decided to stop. Back then, she had considered it to be possible that he hadn't known the steps good enough himself but today she believed that she had been just too bad.

"Why did you want Base to teach me", she asked to break the silence as she followed him through the ship.

"His feet are bigger", he joked.

Emma frowned, "so what?"

"I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt him as much as it'll hurt me if you would have stepped on his feet", he said and there was something in his voice that surprised her.

"Aren't you angry with me?"

"Are you?"

"Why should I?"

"Because I just implied that you'd have two left feet, Love", he held open the door for her and frowned as he noticed that she shrugged, "why should I be?"

Emma grinned, "because I implied the same with you."

"I love challenges", he said confidently as she entered the room. There was a glow in his eyes that left no doubt he really did, "just tell me what all this was about."

Emma sighed. While he closed the door behind them, she hesitated for a short second, "because what you implied might be true. Actually I believe it."

He leaned at the door and looked at her in curiosity, "and why that?"

"Well…Graham…"

"Couldn't dance", he interrupted her and walked up to her throwing the map on his desk, "he was a huntsman. If he knew a dance it was something the mere town's folk would do."

"So", she frowned. She had never known there was a difference. But then how should she have known it? She had never been involved with people of higher status in society.

Hook sighed and held up her right hand with his hook to pull her closer, which only worked out because she accepted it, "there is a difference between dances the mere people do and the ones a Lord would do. Some even differ in the way they are danced."

He pulled her left hand up to place it on his shoulder and placed his hand at her waist while he continued, "just follow my steps. It's okay if you look down at first. Like that you won't step on my feet too much."

Emma frowned as he pulled her even closer until she could feel his chest, "what is so different?"

As he noticed her frown, he answered her unspoken question first, "you need to be so close so you can feel my directions more easily. I have the lead", he waited for a short second as if he wanted to give her the chance for a reaction, before he answered her actual question, "the difference is that the mere people enjoy it a little more I'd say. They are freer in the way they dance and treat each other while dancing. They can be noisy, they can laugh without holding back or hesitation, they can be more honest with each other and sometimes they can even be uncouth."

Hook stepped back and Emma followed him with her right foot first. He hadn't explained any steps or how to start, but since she wasn't just able to see his movements through looking at his feet but too feel it in the reaction of his body that was as close to her as it almost warmed her, it was easy to follow them anyway. So he had been right about the closeness.

"That can be quite liberating but also very bad", he continued before he commented her dancing while pulling her through the room, "you need to leave the lead to me, Swan. Don't forget that."

"I do", she looked up to him in surprise and ignored the reflex to take a step back since his face was so close to her that she could feel his breath on her skin.

"No, you don't", he said and stared into her eyes before he used his hook to point at her forehead, "you don't do it here."

"Why is that necessary", she asked and felt like a little girl asking why the sky is blue.

"Because it mirrors in your movements", he answered and took her right hand again, "you're still stumbling after me even though you know where it's going."

Emma let out a breath and looked down at their feet, "what did you mean with it "could turn out badly"?" She was so focused on dancing that she barely noticed the way he was looking at her. But she suddenly felt her blood speeding up while rushing through her veins and she was glad that he couldn't feel her pulse when he was holding her hand thanks to his hook. It was as if she had just decided to step under a falling rock and she was certain it would definitely hit her. Maybe the decision to make him teach her hadn't been as good as she had believed it to be.

Hook chuckled into her ear, "remember what you said about pirates with a woman at each arm?" He waited for her reaction but when it stayed out he whispered, "you don't want me to explain to you what they do in private, do you?"

She stepped on his foot and he pulled the air into his lungs noisily, "ups."

His eyes focused on her as if he didn't believe this, "you did that on purpose."

"No. I wouldn't have apologized if I did", Emma lied to him trying hard not to smile.

""Ups" isn't an apology. It's not even a statement."

"Sorry."

Now he was speechless. He stared at her for a long moment as if he needed to make a decision about what to do now. It didn't take him long.

"By the way", he said pulling her closer again to continue as if nothing had happened at all, "why was it so important to you that I'd teach you?"

The atmosphere between them had changed again. It was less personal and she was able to breathe more freely even though she was still nervous because she didn't want to step on his feet once more. He was right. She had done it on purpose because the situation had been too intense for her taste, but still she didn't want to repeat it. The other reason was that she had had to take care of herself for as long as she could remember and she didn't want to be bad at something especially not in front of someone she wanted to be respected from. She didn't want to lose.

Emma took a deep breath, "because your crew is still angry with me for beating most of them up and I don't want to lose their respect." She left out Base on purpose, who was someone special between the rest of his men, since he was the one challenging her the most and she was certain the rest would follow his example.

When he didn't answer for a long moment she looked up from their feet expecting him to laugh at her because he'd think it to be ridiculous what it might even be. But instead of his grin, she met a more curious expression. He had raised an eyebrow and seemed to be a little surprised, "why would they do that? They've seen you fight, Love and they know what you're capable of. They'd be fools to underestimate you for such reasons."

"I'm still a woman, Hook", she explained what she had believed to be an obvious reason while she followed his steps automatically through the room without paying any attention to it at all, "and the world isn't fair."

He grinned, "there was no need to remind me of that." As she rolled her eyes he became more serious again, "what are you implying?" He couldn't understand her even though he seemed to want to badly. She couldn't blame him for that. He was a man and as such, he never had to think of something like this.

"I'm talking about the difference in treating and seeing a woman and a man", she said slowly and honestly, "if you are a man you can do what you want, you can make mistakes, you can have faults, you can hop from one bed to another as long as you have something others must look up to you for and sometimes even without that. But as a woman…"

"What", he asked slowly even though she was sure he already understood her.

"As a woman you're always limited to rules made by men. You must not have an own opinion and you have to be saved instead of doing that yourself. You always have to be feminine and that of course is defined by others. You must not wear trousers and you must not be able to use a weapon. Some are even forbidden to read or to learn to read. And if you hop from bed to bed, you're labeled as a bitch.

But if you do all that and can do all that, you've got to kick their ass or they won't respect you. And that respect is easily lost if they find something you're not good at."

"Sounds awful", he admitted, "I never noticed that."

"Well, I did."

"How?"

Emma swallowed, "when I caught my first prisoner with Graham the soldiers didn't even see me, even though I was the one delivering him to them and Graham was just waiting for me at the yard gate. They preferred to yell across the yard to talk with him and ignored me. And when I spoke up they wanted to imprison me as well, because I wasn't acting according to their rules."

Hook grinned, "what did you do?"

Emma smiled, "the same I did to you when we first met."

"Ouch", his smile vanished as soon as he remembered how she had pressed his reflex point to knock him out and how it had hurt even a day after that. His expression changed as he remembered something else, "let's talk about this hopping from one bed to another you mentioned earlier."

Emma rolled her eyes, "seriously?"

"Why not?"

"Why?"

Hook chuckled and she could feel the movement of his chest what was strange but not unpleasant. Actually, it was nice to see him laugh like that again. She barely saw it and she liked it much better than the intensity from earlier.

"Congratulations by the way.", he said out of the blue changing the subject as fast as she hardly could follow.

She frowned, "what for?" He couldn't be talking about sex anymore, could he? She hadn't told him anything even though he had asked her.

"You just danced with me without stepping on my feet or stumbling over yours and you didn't even notice it."

"Oh", she said silently and her mouth turned into a slight smile. Hook pulled her closer, causing her to look into his eyes in surprise and his glimpse was quite intense when he said in a very serious and low voice, "I'd never see you that way, Swan. I appreciate what you're capable of. And I don't give anything about those rules and opinions and I do expect the same of my men. That said I highly doubt you wouldn't be able to convince them to respect you again, even if you'd lose it."

A chill went down her spine as she felt the intensity and honesty in his words. She got lost in his eyes as if he had hypnotized her and she barely noticed that they had stopped to move. He was still keeping her close to his chest and if she wasn't mistaken, he was even caressing her absentmindedly with his thumb at her back.

The air around them seemed to heat up and Emma became a little nervous feeling the tension between them. She hadn't planned to tell him all this and she hadn't even noticed that she had wanted to talk about it, nor that it had been troubling her on board the Jolly Roger at all. But somehow, she always ended up telling him more than she had wanted to. Somehow, she didn't feel any resentment to tell him everything. Somehow, she had started to open up to him. And once again, she questioned it.

While it had taken her some time to trust and believe in Graham and his words, she had just allowed Hook to even get in front of her walls. And now he was standing in front of it, asking to be allowed inside and trying to make his way through even though she didn't open it for him. Somehow, she knew her walls wouldn't be of any use against him and that he would just try to climb across it, if she wouldn't do something. She knew he would get inside, he would get too close to her and in the end, she would just get hurt again like back then with Bae.

Emma tried to snap out of it, to find back to herself instead of getting lost in his way too blue eyes even more, until she would forget everything because they were promising that to her and forced her feet to move again. It almost hurt in every possible way as she took a step back and let go of his hook again.

As she looked to the side, she noticed that he frowned before he vanished out of her eyes. Undecided about what to do she walked up to his desk and took the card he had taken down with them before. She unfolded it a little more, "when will we reach that realm?"

He cleared his throat, "I was hoping for tomorrow, but you never know what happens on sea."

"I had no clue we were already that close to it."

Hook walked up to her. She didn't need to turn around to him or to listen to his footsteps to know it. She just felt it with every fiber of her body. The spot at her back he had touched before was still awkwardly cold.

"We're not done when we reach it", he said slowly and took the map out of her hands to surround her and spread it on the desk, "before we can follow our plan we'll have to get some things first."

Emma frowned while he searched the map for a second before he pointed at it, "we're here, Love."

Even though he always called her like that, it felt odd now. She was still to tense to relax and ignore it. This time was even worse than the last time he had been as close to her. Even worse than that moment at the tree before they had sneaked into Cora's castle, but not as bad as after she had taken care of his wound. She didn't show it. She wasn't a little kid anymore. She had made her own experiences and she was able to handle it. She could be fine with it just as he obviously was.

She leaned further across the desk so she could see the spot he was pointing at more easily, "and what do we need to get?"

Hook didn't look at her as he answered, "a dress. You can't attend a ball without one. They wouldn't even allow you to get near the portal thanks to those rules you mentioned earlier. And we need a carriage if we don't want to catch attention. There is no way we can sneak inside and follow our plan except for this."

She looked at him for a moment before she focused on the map again, "I see."

The situation was still awkward. He didn't look at her and it made her feel wronged. It wasn't as if she had slapped him or pushed him back or something was it? She had just done what was right for both of them. She had done what was the right thing for their teamwork. And still she felt strange. She felt out of place as if she had damaged something even though she had done nothing but broken that stupid situation.

"What happened?"

Emma snapped out of her thoughts and noticed that he was studying her carefully. She had no idea what he was talking about. While she had been thinking about intense situations with him and talking about sex and thinking about kissing him that had caused such situations, he had just continued to something, she had no clue about. Had she overheard him say something?

"What", she asked confused.

"What happened to you", he specified his question and stared at her not just curious but even a little upset if she wasn't mistaken. Or was that just an interpretation of her conscience? But why should she feel guilty about anything? She hadn't done something wrong, had she? He continued, "why do you have these walls?"

Now she stared at him in surprise. And immediately she was wondering if she had said anything of her thoughts from earlier out loud. But she was certain she hadn't.

And again he seemed to read her mind, "it's obvious, Love."

"Why that", she asked slowly and watched him walking up to her without breaking their eye contact once more.

"Because I have the same", he answered and stopped right in front of her, "but you know where they're coming from."

"Have you?"

"Indeed", he reached out to her and she broke their eye contact and avoided him by looking at the map again, "and even if not this just now would already have been proof enough."

Emma looked up to him feeling as if she was standing in front of him naked and she hated it. She felt bare and she didn't know what to say. She was feeling way too vulnerable and she wanted to defend herself and sneak back behind her walls very badly. But she knew he wouldn't allow that. He would stop her the moment she'd try and it scared her more than anything. She felt like an animal pushed into a corner.

However, this animal was saved as the door was opened and Smee entered the room breathing heavily just as if he had run down to them as the whole ship burst into noise and scream of the men on deck. It was so noisy that they barely understood his words, "Captain, there is a kraken."

They exchanged one short glance before they pushed aside Smee to run up on deck the way he had rushed down to them before, which wasn't as easy as before anymore because the ship was shaking heavily and some of the planks from upstairs broke into the room. They had to duck to avoid them every now and then.

"My ship", Hook yelled like a lover watching his beloved being killed and sped up. He was in such a hurry as he stumbled on the stairs before he almost jumped on deck yelling orders to his men even before he set one foot on it.

Emma avoided a gun that fell through one of the leaks under deck while the men's screams grew louder. When she finally reached the deck, she felt like she had just entered another world. Besides the holes in the deck, she had already noticed from below there were barrels rolling around, some men were lying unconscious on the floor if they weren't even dead, everywhere was blood and rum. Huge parts of the rail were gone and to both sides of the highly damaged Jolly Roger were reaching huge arms of a kraken out of the ocean. It was a miracle that the main mast was still standing even though its sail was torn just like the other sails. The only mast that was broken was the one Hook was trying to climb across so he could reach the steering wheel where one of his men was tying to do his best even though his head was bleeding badly and he seemed to be barely conscious.

He kept yelling orders and names but Emma was afraid that most of the men he was yelling for weren't able to do anything anymore if they even were still on board and alive.

Emma let herself fall through the hatch under deck again to avoid one of the kraken's arms that crushed at the spot she had been staying at sending a wave of water down on her and landed right in Smee's arms who had finally reached her. He was confused, scared and seemed to be vulnerable like a child but she needed him.

"Smee", she shouted through the noise, "where are the canons?"

He starred at her with his mouth opened for a short second and let go of her when she had come back to her feet completely, "we have four. Two to both sides under deck."

"Get some men and then fire that damn thing", she yelled and ran up on deck again already expecting him to be too scared to follow her and to search for help. She was right. Smee stayed where he was hiding like a little kid afraid of monsters in the night.

Emma slipped across the deck noticing that it took the kraken several punches to destroy even one plank. She had to avoid its tentacles and to jump across unconscious men. Not just a few times she fell to the ground always searching for someone who could help them while Hook tried to get them out of this craziness by shooting at the arms of the kraken and supporting the wounded man at the steering wheel. One of his men was positioned at the heck shooting at the tentacles with the small canon at the rail to protect the oar without which they would be screwed.

After Emma had sent one man down to Smee, she slipped again. When she got back to her feet a man suddenly climbed out of a hole in the deck beside. He was bleeding badly and it took him a long moment to finally recognize her.

"Base", she yelled and ran up to him, "you need to get back under deck and help Smee."

"No", the man said in his deep and strong voice.

She stopped in her rush to find another man and slowly turned around to him again trying to keep her balance, "what?"

"No", he repeated through the noise and reached for his knife.

"And why not?"

"I don't follow the orders of a whore", Base jumped forward but not to attack her. He avoided another strike of a tentacle and turned around running it through with his knife. Of course, it was pointless. That little bruise had to be equal to a stitch of a bee for that kraken but it winced back anyway. There was a sound of a canon being shot from below deck and the ship stopped moving for a second.

"What", Emma continued as if nothing had interrupted their argument.

"You've heard what I said", he only stated and turned to face her again.

Emma didn't know if he was just an idiot or insane. Maybe he was both. But she knew that she had underestimated the men's opinion about her when she had followed Hook under deck earlier. On board a ship like this, it turned out to be important what the men thought about a woman following a man into his cabin. It seemed to be important for them to stay pure somehow even though there would never be something like purity on this ship. It turned out she had already lost their respect the first time she had entered Hook's cabin to spend the night there and that she had just misjudged the way the men had been treating her to be respect the entire time. They'd only spared her because of Hook. But now he wasn't around and Base had the perfect opportunity to get rid of her. He could just pretend the kraken had killed her.

The ship started to shake again slowly and Base didn't have any problem with it. At this location, he'd have the better cards against her because she couldn't keep her balance as easily as him. In the distance, she heard Hook yelling his orders. They were in common with what she had planned to do and some men rushed under deck to support Smee at the canons, but she couldn't take a closer look, since she had to focus on Base who had drawn another knife out of his boot.

"You have no idea what you're talking about", Emma stated and waited for his reaction. She had bet him once before and she was sure she could do it a second time to refresh his memory. But she didn't pull a weapon. She had promised Hook to keep his men alive on deck and somehow she felt bound to that promise.

The ship shook again and a wave of water crashed on deck and forced them to their knees. Emma was wet to the bone and her green blouse stuck to her like a second skin as she stood up again. Her right foot slipped but she didn't fall right in the moment Base threw his knife. She let herself fall to the ground to avoid it and made a somersault to get back to her feet. Base was wearing a self-satisfied smile even though he hadn't hit her and something behind her sank back into the water with a huge splash sending another wave of water across the deck that pushed them both off their feet and send them across the deck this time.

The sound of canons filled the air around them once more, as Emma got back to her feet. She had been swapped at the main mast but regardless where she was looking, she just couldn't find Base who hadn't attacked her but the kraken behind her as she realized now. She slipped across the deck searching for him once more. She didn't want to let him get away with that. He couldn't just die or get lost on sea now not before she didn't owe him her life anymore and not before she had clarified some things to him.

The canons kept shooting and the tentacles didn't make it up on deck again. She barely noticed that Hook had left his position at the steering wheel and had gone under deck as well. He shouted is orders as loud at his men as she could hear them up on deck despite all the noise around her. But she blended him out and focused on her task. Some of the men really were dead by now and some had simply disappeared. Her hands and clothes were smeared with blood despite the water her cloths had sucked in.

"Damn it", someone cursed coughing heavily. She had barely heard it, but turned to her right and noticed a pair of hands holding on to the remains of the railing. She ran up to it slipping, falling to her knees and cutting her hands at broken bottles and lost weapons that hadn't slipped off the deck yet because they were sticking in the planks. She ignored the pain and picked up a rope hanging from the main mast to throw it at base of who she was certain of to be hanging from the ship above the angry waves trying to eat everything they could reach.

She threw the rope down to him, "grab it."

"What?"

She leaned over the edge of the ship so he could see her, "grab it, Base!"

Slightly irritated he did what she had ordered while another shower of canon bullets rained down on the tentacles barely breaking through the water now.

Emma hurried back to the other end of the rope and used the mast to pull Base up on deck again. When she had succeeded, she sank to the ground grunting and leaned back at the mast while the pirate crawled up to her and mirrored her posture. He was still coughing and breathing heavily.

After a long moment, the ship stopped shaking and the noise died out.

"Why did you do that", Base asked between spilling water and coughing to start all over again.

"Swan", Hook yelled from under deck furiously but she knew he was just worried for her.

"Owed you something", she answered the pirate next to her as her breath relaxed again, "you saved my life earlier."

"I saved mine", he pointed out and scratched the back of his head, "you were just standing at the right place."

Emma got back to her feet and looked down on him while the noise behind her told her that Hook came back up on deck to look for her.

"Doesn't matter. We're even now", she watched him standing up as well, "but there is one thing I've forgotten."

Base frowned at her as she stretched back her right arm, turned her right hand into a fist and struck. She felt his nose break underneath her fist.

"What was that for", he screamed reaching for his nose immediately while blood and tears ran down his face. He leaned back at the mast and squeezed his eyes shut.

"For calling me a whore", she said crossing her arms in front of her chest, "I'm not. Got it?"

"Aye", he said and almost smiled at her.

"Swan", Hook shouted from somewhere close to them. He ran up to them as soon as they noticed them, but when he noticed Base's face he slowed down his steps before he stopped right beside Emma, "what's going on here?"

"Nothing", she answered noticing that Base was avoiding his captain's eyes, "everything is fine."

"I see", he said slowly looking from one to the other until he noticed her bloody hands, "can you tell me how we shall attend that stupid ball like this?"

"Hey", she defended herself, "I didn't call that kraken to attack us. It was an accident."

"Great", he growled and pulled her away leaving Base behind, "Base, go and let someone take care of your wounds. I don't need illnesses on board of my ship."

"You mean what's left of it."

"Not funny, Swan."

Base frowned as he watched them walking away from him. Something was strange about the way they were interacting with each other. He had seen his captain with so many women in the maybe three-hundred years he had been traveling with him and been stuck with him in Neverland now and never had it been like this before. He had watched Hook changing from a man of honor with norms to a pirate annoyed of the King he had been following and grieving for his dead brother. A pirate enjoying the life without rules, taking what he wanted weather it was jewels and money or women, to a pirate falling in love with a woman maybe having even less of a conscience than him, grieving her secretly and doing anything to get his revenge on the man who had murdered her, loosing his last principles for that. But he had never seen him like that. Sometimes it was as if they were surrounding each other like flying mice only reacting to their instincts and still being around each other, knowing each other blindly and sometimes they seemed to be something like friends close enough to end each other's sentences. They always seemed to be worried for each other and knew exactly where the other one was without watching each other the entire time. They challenged each other and argued but they never did something to hurt each other.

Maybe he was just worried for his captain after he had seen him getting hurt so often and so badly out of loyalty or maybe he just couldn't read her since she always seemed to be up to something. He didn't know it. At least it was strange that his captain wouldn't start something with her even though he was sharing his quarters with her. It was unusual for Hook not to have sex with someone like her if she was always that close to him. And his attitude towards her had changed lately. He had definitely noticed it. He was looking out for her and sometimes Base had even noticed him looking at her, as he hadn't seen him do ever since Milah had been killed. Sometimes he even believed it to be even worse than back then. And what was all this strange talk about a ball about he had overheard lately?

He didn't know it. Nevertheless, he knew that she was distracting him too much to notice that something was off on board. He couldn't tell Hook about it, because he didn't have any proof for it yet and he was certain he wouldn't believe in his assumptions about who was at fault at all. Anybody could be the source of the problems even if he believed two to be at fault most likely. Nevertheless, he felt to be watched sometimes and he had observed some strange things during his night shifts.

Smee ran up to him trying hard to avoid looking at the bodies of the men they'd lost and the ones even he could hear grunting out of pain. He doubted Hook would listen to him and was more than worried for his captain. Maybe it was time to team up with the woman again. It had worked before even though he hadn't trusted her so maybe it would work again. He still didn't trust her enough to relax and accept her on board without keeping an eye on her, but maybe she would notice something he had overseen. Maybe she would find some proof he could show his captain or maybe she would reveal herself to be the person at fault. Even though he had doubts about it, there was still a small voice in the back of his mind telling him, that she might be able to do everything if she just really wanted to. She had distracted his captain enough so he wouldn't notice anything after all. He had to risk it for his captain.

* * *

"Ouch."

"That's your own fault."

"Why that? I didn't ask that kraken to attack and destroy your ship, did I?"

"No, but you came on deck and brought yourself in danger."

"You didn't tell me to stay down here."

"You wouldn't have listened anyway", he pointed out and worked at her hand. Usually he would have smiled about it but even though his mouth wanted to turn into a grin, his feelings didn't allow it. His ship had been attacked and was damaged now and on top of that he had lost some of his men and had to be worried about her to the extent that he had really been scared until he had seen her with Base on deck.

Emma smiled about his response but became serious again, "yeah, because it would have been pointless. Haven't you seen your ship yet? Besides that, if I wouldn't have done it, Base would be dead by now."

Hook let go of her right hand again. He had taken care of the cuts in her palm she had received as she had fallen into the sharp remains of bottles and weapons on deck earlier. Even though he had done his best to be more than angry with her because she had put her life in danger like this, she had noticed that he had been very careful when he had checked on her cuts.

She watched him walking up to the broken window in the back of his quarters and resisted the urge to take a deep breath, believing that just the smell of all the rum on her hands could be enough to make her drunk.

It was a miracle that nothing had disappeared from this room even after the attack at least as far as she could tell. However, seeing the ship to be as damaged as this seemed to hurt Hook almost physically. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him the way he was checking on the remains of the window as if he wanted to find out what the shattered parts of its glass had to look like so he could fix it again. He almost seemed to be helpless now and she understood that trying to scold her had just been a way to focus on something else. For a short second it even had felt like he had been scolding the Jolly Roger instead of her. He had talked about her like about a woman before after all and she knew that he loved this ship more than anything in the world at least as far as she could tell.

Emma opened her mouth to distract him as she noticed something at the broken window that stopped her. It was as if a small spot of heat was setting the water of the air in motion enlightened by the setting sun's rays. She frowned and narrowed her eyes hoping to see something more detailed than that and hoping it wasn't just something made up by her mind because she had hit her head so often before when she had slipped on deck.

Hook didn't notice anything of it but on the other hand right now he didn't notice anything at all, because he was too focused on his ship and their problems caused by the kraken that had destroyed it like that. He was still looking at the remains of the window and at the same time, he didn't really seem to see anything. He was lost in his thoughts, but Emma didn't have time to wonder what he was thinking about now.

That little spot seemed to move. It seemed to fly through the air into her direction until it vanished from her view because of the shadows inside the remains of this room. Emma sighed and looked down at her hands. Maybe she really had imagined something. There hadn't been anything at all.

Someone cleared his throat and Emma looked up expecting Hook to talk with her just to notice that he was still lost in his thoughts. She frowned and looked through the room thinking that someone had entered the room just to notice that there was nobody there, as someone whispered into her right ear, "hello."

"Hello", Emma replied silently and slowly. She was still confused and right now, it seemed to be possible that all this was made up by her mind through a headache or something than ever. Or was this Rumpelstiltskin's doing again? But it was a female voice talking to her. It was somehow familiar to her.

"Emma", the voice said a little impatient now, "don't you remember me?"

"What did you say", Hook said still absentmindedly and checked his belonging to find out if something was missing. His fingers ran across a chest Emma hadn't ever opened or even seen before. It had to had been somewhere in a locker or something before the kraken had attacked them. Hook didn't open it as if he believed it to be impossible that it might have been opened during the attack. He simply went on checking his belongings.

"Nothing", Emma answered trying to sound as usual as possible and searched the room for the hot spot in the air, hoping to hear that somehow familiar voice once more.

"Oh come on, I know we haven't seen each other for a long time now but you can't just forget me, can you?"

"Nova", Emma whispered and stopped searching knowing that it would be pointless as long as the fairy wouldn't want to be visible.

There was a sound like someone was clapping and Nova laughed along with it just like she was relieved and of course quite happy, "great, I knew it."

Emma tried to ignore that reaction and focused on the pirate in front of her who shouldn't know about the fairy and had stopped in his movement to look over his shoulder frowning as if he was wondering if he really had just heard something like her before, "did you hear that?"

Emma frowned. It was difficult to have two conversations at once especially if one of the people you were talking with shouldn't notice anything about the conversation he wasn't involved in, "what?"

Hook shook his head and continued inspecting the hole in his ship now. It was a huge problem that they needed to deal with as soon as possible. Their chances to travel with a whole like that and to actually survive it were like zero.

"What do you plan to do about it", Emma asked and focused on the whole as well for a second. She had no clue what the solution for this problem should be. There was no way out of this no matter how she looked at it.

Hook didn't answer her for a long moment. A moment Nova used to talk with her, "what on earth happened here?"

"A kraken attacked us out of nowhere", Emma whispered.

"That bloody monster wanted to feed from us", Hook answered who had overheard and misinterpreted her words. He seemed to believe she was shocked or something and needed to think all this over, "I know we should be glad that we even survived but if I'd ever meet that thing again, I'd love to take my chance and to get back on it for what it's done to my Jolly."

He was more than upset and once more Emma had the impression he was confusing the Jolly Roger for a woman of flesh and blood. But watching him fishing maps out of the water that had gotten inside during the attack and build small puddles on the floor she just couldn't laugh or even joke about it. She just felt sorry for him. The Jolly Roger was his home; his save haven and now it was nothing more than a wreck. One of the masts was broken, there was barely left anything of the rail, several planks on deck had been split so you could hardly cross it and the huge window in his quarters was broken. Water had swapped inside, the sails were torn and she didn't even want to imagine what the hull and the oar were looking like. The only part of the Jolly Roger that seemed to be fully in tact was the steering wheel so their situation was more than hopeless.

"You can find lust for vengeance in everything, can't you", she asked instead of telling him so, knowing that this simple fact would not just hurt him even more but also increase the pressure on his shoulders. Maybe she was even hoping that it could make him angry so he would have something to scoop strength from.

"You see", Nova said just as if she was actually part of this conversation, "I told you he meant trouble. All he cares about is himself."

No, that was not true. She couldn't tell Nova so now that he was standing right beside them where he would be able to overhear everything she would say, but she knew, she just felt that his talk of vengeance was just a cover for the pain he actually felt by seeing his ship like that.

Besides that, she was almost certain that not everything he did was about his vengeance. Sure, she had still doubts about his reasons thanks to Rumpelstiltskin but she knew that he cared for her. She could feel and see it. She had experienced it before when he had helped and tried to protect her. But she also knew that there was this other side to him, which she couldn't asses yet. The side that lusted for vengeance and awakened her doubts every time she wanted to trust him. The side that made it hard to see what he was thinking about and what reasons his actions were following. She knew that he had good in him and she was certain that in the moments he took care of her and worried for her and tried to protect her he wasn't thinking of revenge but only for her and her safety. And yet the doubts remained.

"No", he finally admitted, "I'm just angry. I hate being attacked out of nowhere."

"Well, that thing could hardly warn you, could it", Emma said sarcastically before she asked seriously, "how was it even possible that nobody noticed anything before things had gotten this far? Your men were on deck, weren't they?"

"You usually don't notice an attack from under the sea, Love", he pointed out the obvious and kicked a piece of glass aside, "that would have been reason enough for them not to notice but on top of that the view wasn't clear and if you notice we're surrounded by mist now."

Right. Mist.

"Can't you just ask the Evil Queen to repair the Jolly Roger?"

Hook sighed, "she is a witch and not a fairy if I recall correctly. She'll want something in return again and there is nothing I would want to give to her weather it's a thing, a living creature or my precious time, Love."

"Why are you still here", Nova asked curious. They hadn't seen each other ever since she had decided to team up with the pirate. Secretly Emma had already believed that she had been left behind and that Nova would never show up again.

"We want to find Prince Henry", Emma said and decided not to tell her about their deal. It wasn't the right moment for this.

"I doubt she'd agree on that being the payment once more", Hook sighed misunderstanding her once again. Well, she couldn't blame him for that. Why should he even think of anything even close to her situation right now at all? She would never have had thought of it herself if their places had been reversed. Instead, he seemed to believe she was digging in his thoughts.

"Maybe if we renounce our payment for finding the prince in return", she suggested already guessing what his answer would be. For some reason she perfectly understood him. She knew just as much as him that it was a bad idea.

Hook stared at her as if she had slapped him, "no. I need Belle to find him."

Emma held up both of her hands he had bound with wet cloths in defense, "it was just an idea."

"It was a bad one."

"Belle? Who is Belle", Nova asked confused.

Emma ignored her, "what can we do about the Jolly Roger then? I don't want to die of thirst on sea, you know?"

"I have no idea", he sighed in disappointment

"But I have", Nova stated and looked at Emma, "I'll take care of it." She barely had finished her sentence when there was the distant sound of rumbling and cackling all over the ship.

"Maybe Regina is our only chance", Hook said disappointed and sank into another wet chair he had just placed on the floor again. He didn't pay attention to the noise maybe believing that it was just the ship floating on the sea damaged as it was.

"And you think you can do that", Emma asked skeptically just noticing that her question was matching for both of them.

Nova grinned at her, "I'll find a way."

The ship's noise grew louder just as the fairy vanished into nothing the way she had appeared before. Emma frowned as she noticed it and even Hook looked up on deck as if he was assuming that his men could be the source of it while they were taking care of the mess and their wounded mates.

"Not today. But maybe tomorrow when I've found that mirror again", he said and stood up looking as if he didn't care for the noise anymore.

"In this mess", Emma said sarcastically, "good luck."

He glared at her in annoyance the moment the door opened again and Smee stepped inside, "I'm sorry, Sir, but the rest of the men are waiting for you on deck."

Hook frowned and left her behind. As he walked up to the hatch, she could hear him talk with Smee about the wounded pirates. Maybe he expected her to follow him but she didn't know that for certain and she didn't want to. And even if she would have wanted to, she wouldn't had had the opportunity since as soon as Hook's and Smee's voices became distant Base suddenly appeared in the still opened door.

His head, his arms and his chest were bound and as he entered the room, he was stumbling while glaring at her angrily. She was glad to see him as healthy as this again after he had been that exhausted earlier on deck but something was off with the way he was looking at her. Was he picking a fight again? Why?

"We need to talk", he said in a commanding voice across the renewed noise of crackling and rumbling that grew louder in a strange way.

Was he serious? He could hardly pick a fight with her in this condition, couldn't he? But everything starting with his glare was hinting at it. Even the way he had sneaked in here avoiding Hook and maybe even everyone else as well was hinting something like that. This couldn't be possible, could it?


	11. Base

10\. Base's story

This just couldn't be true. They had just saved each other's lives and he was thinking about attacking her again already? Why else would he have sneaked into this room behind his captain and his first mate? There was no other explanation for this considering the way he usually treated her.

Emma ignored the pain in her hands and placed her right hand on a knife at her belt secretly being alarmed by his strange behavior, "do you really think this is the right moment for this? You don't look like you could handle this now, to be honest."

Base frowned angrily and she had the impression that he was confused by her words and maybe even by her reaction what confused her in return, "I'm fine. And even if not I'd still be able to take you on."

At least he believed so. His self-confidence hadn't even gotten a scratch, had it, "you haven't been able to do that before as well and you were healthy back then, remember?"

Just like he wanted to confuse her even more he took a seat right across from her and stretched out his right leg that seemed to be hurting him, "stop that nonsense and listen to me. I don't have much time."

Voices from above disturbed the silence as she drew her hand back from the knife slowly, never leaving him out of sight. She wasn't certain anymore, that he still wanted to attack her nor that he had intended to in the first place but she wanted to be careful.

The noise grew even louder just like the crackling and rumbling of the damaged Jolly Roger all around them and as she spoke her words were hardly to be heard, "what on earth is going on up there?"

* * *

Hook ran on deck. Smee's words had been more than confusing. It seemed too impossible to be true what his first mate had just told him on their way up here. He had said that the planks and masts had started to shine in the colors they were painted in as they had searched through the mess for survivors and for their dead mates. But there was no way the Jolly Roger could do something like that, was there? She was damaged, she was broken and so had to be her magic. How on earth should she be able to repair and save herself?

As soon as he arrived up there he looked around searching for a source of this strange happenings. Smee indeed had told the truth. Everything around them was glowing and sparkling and the noise which he had ignored just a moment before, believing it to be the sound of the ship breaking apart completely, was coming from everywhere. Even the sails that were hanging in shreds from the damaged masts were shining brightly. He had never seen something like this before.

Everywhere he turned to look he had to notice that small lights flew up from every part of his Chip that was damaged and maybe even broken off like fireflies on a field in the night.

"What the", he whispered as the broken parts flew up into the air and restored themselves before they flew back in place where they seemed to melt to the ship. The planes, that had broken into the ship, straightened out and malformed with the parts they had broken off from, while missing parts seemed to grow out of what was left. Now he understood where the noise had been coming from.

The more parts flew up the more of their mates they found on deck. Hook stepped up to the middle of the ship, "hurry up, get the men."

His pirates rushed across the planks collecting their mates if they were alive or not. The hurt and unconscious they brought under deck to mend their wounds while the dead ones were collected in a corner of the deck that was restored completely.

Hook walked up to the steering wheel while the stairs underneath his feet finished repairing themselves just before he placed his feet on each step. He focused at the people around him and frowned as he noticed that Base wasn't anywhere to be seen. It wasn't like him to stay under deck no matter how hurt he was. Usually he would come up and do whatever it took to help and make himself useful. And he had seen him after the attack, so he knew that he hadn't been as hurt as he wouldn't show up here now, right?

The ship shook and he had to hold on to the steering wheel so he wouldn't fall. Maybe his poor Jolly Roger had been hurt more than he had expected her to be. He walked up to the oar and noticed that even that seemed to need to be repaired from the light which was emitting from it. He sighed and leaned at the restored rail while the voices of his men reached his ears through all the noise. Even though the situation had been awful before, it was wonderful to watch this scene. It was like in a dream just that he would never have imagined something like this. He had never known something like this could happen at all. He only knew about dark magic so this was like a fairytale. He couldn't express how relieved he was through seeing this and searched the deck suddenly thinking of Emma who should be with him to enjoy this now. But she wasn't there.

So where was Emma? Hadn't she followed them up? What on earth was going on here? Base and Emma were kind of missing? Those two had never gotten along not even after they had teamed up to save him. Hadn't he seen Emma hit him just earlier? The relaxed and happy sensation from just seconds before was gone. He felt as if he was loosing control and that could turn out deadly for him as the captain of this crew. He remembered how Smee had told him about Emma leading them to King Frederic's castle to get him out and Base following her orders. Yes, his first mate had said it exactly like that. Was she betraying him? Were they up to something? But Base wasn't really the person to riot against him, was he? He had always trusted and relied on him and the pirate had always proofed to be worth it in the past. And Emma…why should she do something like that? She wasn't interested in ships and commands, was she? All she cared about was to find Blackbeard and she was wiling to do everything it would take or she wouldn't help him searching for the prince now, would she?

But if this wasn't about rioting against him then maybe there was something going on between them? Could that be? Was it such a hate-love-relationship he had heard of? His hand turned into a fist before he even really thought this through. He didn't like that idea and he didn't like that Smee's information and what he was observing himself were melting up to cause doubts and anger in his heart. Just the thought of Emma and Base hiding something from him could make him worry more than the broken Jolly Roger before and imagining them to hook up made his blood boil with anger.

Hook frowned and looked down at his hand that was still turned into a fist. He had cupped her cheek with it when he had gotten lost in her eyes like there was nothing but her. He remembered his fingers prickling as the mood had tensioned between them and he had actually thought of kissing her. Right after that he had been confused of his own reaction to her and of his disappointment in her because she had broken that moment. She had winced back as if he was a poison she was both fearing and longing for. And still he couldn't understand neither her reaction nor his own. When had he started to want to be close to her like this? When had he started to need her around him and hear her cheeky and always challenging words. When had he grown addicted to her voice like that? Or even her presence?

He looked up to the main mast and noticed that its sail sewed up itself. As he looked at the other sails he noticed the same, while the lines that were supposed to hold on to all of them, grew larger as they snaked across the planks up the masts and bound themselves to the repaired sails. Even the barrels and boxes seemed to repair themselves with nothing but the light that made everything shine.

No, he was really over reacting. Just because both of them weren't here, didn't mean they were plotting something or there was something going on between them. Who knew? Maybe they were even fighting again if they were together at all and he didn't have the time to check on that now. The sea was calm and he wanted to get away from here as fast as possible now that the Jolly Roger would be strong enough to take them anywhere again. But even though he knew how ridiculous his reaction was, he still couldn't enjoy, what he saw the way he had done it just seconds ago, before all those dark thoughts had sneaked into his head and poisoned his heart.

Hook focused on the ship and the lights. Yes, he was certain. He had never seen something like this before, not even in Neverland where the entire island could seem to be shining during the night. And yes, this indeed was like a bloody tale people would tell in a tavern in a small village or even to their children to send them to bed, if there even was someone doing stuff like that.

He had never seen magic like this before but he was certain that it was magic and the only source of it could be Emma, since the Jolly Roger had never done anything like this before and she had been damaged a lot of times in the past. So had Emma done that? But she couldn't control her powers, could she? They had never talked about her powers ever since they had returned from Cora's castle. Back then she had seemed to be pretty surprised if not even shocked of it so he had believed her to be inexperienced in using them. Had she just fooled him and she knew exactly how to use it and what she could do with it? Was he being played by a witch again?

Hook shook his head lost in his thoughts. This was getting ridiculous. Since when was he doubting her so much? Or should he have done it before? There never had been a reason for it. She wasn't like Regina and Cora. In fact those three women were fundamentally different. While the witches had played and betrayed him, Emma was more honest. And even if she wanted to, he was spoiled enough to believe he would be able to look right through her anyway. So why was he angry with her to the extent to distrust her like this?

He focused on the magic in front of him determined to distract himself before he would get more than angry again. Or was this the work of the Jolly Roger though? She had magic, he perfectly knew that but he hadn't expected it to turn out like this. His ship had never done that before in those around three-hundred years he had spend on it, so why should she suddenly do it? But on the other hand he hadn't known about her magic protecting him from Cora for the past twenty-seven years, too. Maybe it was possible and she was really doing it herself.

"Captain", Smee ran up to him looking everywhere but at him being just as confused and surprised. He even stumbled over his feet because he wasn't paying attention enough to where he was going, "we-we have found almost everyone now."

"What does that mean", Hook asked forcing himself to get back to business instead of getting lost in his surroundings and the worries about Emma. There was no need to worry about her. He had to worry about his men. He needed to find out how many and who was hurt and who not and he had to find out who was lost on sea or had died on board. He wouldn't search for the lost men, since it would be pointless. They most certainly were already dead anyway. But that meant he would need new members for his crew. If just King Frederic wouldn't have destroyed everything he would have enough men even after this now. Not to mention that the barrels and boxes might be repaired but empty and they wouldn't have enough food to feet all of them. Emma's words of dying of thirst on the sea came to his mind along with a picture his imagination came up with.

Yes, he certainly didn't need to worry about Emma. He really had enough other things to care for now. Maybe it would bei wiser to search for the lost men on see as well. He didn't want to load his conscience with images of men suffering from thirst surrounded by water they couldn't drink and they would drown it sooner ob later.

* * *

Base focused on his hurt leg and answered her question, "seems the Jolly Roger is healing herself."

"Healing", Emma repeated as if she wasn't certain she had heard the right word, "you mean repairing, don't you?"

Base rolled his eyes, "we've never seen her do that before. Must be the magic in her wood."

The ship shook and he frowned as if he was wondering if he was right. He only knew about the ship's magic because of the rule of not mentioning Cora's name on board some weeks ago. Hook had explained to them that they would be safe on board as long as they wouldn't mention the witch's name because the Jolly Roger was protecting them with her magic. Sure, he had known the ship was made of empowered wood that made her almost unbreakable, but he had never known that those powers would include protecting them like this. He had underestimated her in that matter before, so why shouldn't she be able to heal herself? He could believe it. It was too bad he had overestimated her indestructibility so he had had to learn the hard way about it. He was almost certain that it was the same for everyone else on board including Hook.

Emma gave his theory a thought and suddenly Nova's face came back into her mind. Or maybe a fairy was taking care of it for them and they just didn't know. Nova had told her she would take care of it, hadn't she? So in the end the little fairy was helping her once again. Emma held back a grin and concentrated on the pirate in front of her.

His leg seemed to hurt him quite a lot. He almost glared at it as if he was angry with it for hurting and being hurt. The shaking of the ship didn't seem to help him at all. In fact it seemed to worsen his pain even though he didn't move it directly.

This situation was just too strange, "what do you want to talk about?"

He sighed and hesitated as if he wasn't certain to tell her even though he had made the decision to do it earlier. He didn't say anything for a long moment and Emma wondered if it really was as urgent as he had pretended it to be. She had thought he didn't have much time to discuss whatever it was he wanted to talk about. So why did he waste time now?

Base frowned as he noticed something behind her back. Emma turned around to look at it as well and noticed the glass of the window flying back into its place piece by piece and as every part of it was back, the cuts melted together and the window looked exactly like it had done before the kraken had attacked. Everything in the room started to shine and the chest Hook hadn't opened to check slipped soundly across the floor and back into the wardrobe where it must have been before. They exchanged a short and confused glance before Emma stared at her feet and watched the water vanish as if the wood was sucking it in.

"Something's wrong with the crew."

She looked up at the pirate as fast as her neck hurt, "what?"

He waited for her to understand that he was serious.

"Shouldn't you tell Hook instead of me", Emma asked confused. It wasn't like him to talk with her about something like that. Base was someone who knew who to talk to if something was off and he never would have trusted her with something like that in the past. So what had changed? Besides that she wasn't responsible for anything like that and she didn't want to get involved in it. It felt as if he was treating her as the captain instead of Hook and that was more than wrong. She had never claimed that position and she would never do that. Besides that he was the last person on earth who would accept it, wasn't he? So, what was this about now?

Base sighed, "he wouldn't believe me. Something has changed a while ago and it's influencing everyone here. That is why I need to talk with you."

Lately? She had come on board but she had believed that nothing had changed through it, except for the gulley, since everybody had done his work functioning like a machine. And still her arrival on board was the first thing that came to her mind hearing this. She was always with Hook so maybe she just hadn't noticed how her presence affected the men. But how should it affect them? Just today she had followed him into his quarters for several minutes and he had asked not to be disturbed, right? Could it be they were losing respect not just for her but for him as well through that? But that didn't make sense. If it really was influencing them then they should disrespect her and respect him even more, right? Why was she even thinking about that now?

She didn't tell him anything about her thoughts even though the words, "I came here", were already lying on her tongue, "and why shouldn't he believe you?" They both knew that she could have also asked why she should believe him then. He seemed to think that she had some kind of influence on Hook, if he came to her because his captain wouldn't believe him. But with this insinuation of influence came responsibility she would have to take if she would listen to him. She would need to react to what he had to tell her, even though she didn't know if he was just asking her for advice or if he wanted her to do something and that might push her into a position she didn't want to have. A position where she might end up between Hook and his crew.

"Because I don't have evidence", he answered and it was the truth at least according to what he believed to be true, "and he seems to listen to you. It could be less problematic for him to believe it if you tell him as an outsider."

Emma frowned. It was uncomfortable to hear him calling her an outsider after everything they had gone through now, even though she knew that this man still didn't trust her what made this entire situation even more confusing. If she was an outsider in his eyes then what did he believe she was doing here? He suspected her to be an outsider with influence on the person leading all the others?

She remembered him calling her a strumpet and anger boiled in her blood. It would be perfectly matching if he still considered her to be sleeping with Hook. She felt as if she had to make something clear even though it was somehow ridiculous that she even cared abtut his thoughts. She had never cared for other's thoughts about her before. But maybe the problem now was not what he thought of her but what she was thinking of herself. Of course she didn't believe to bei a strumpet but she was troubled with the way things were between the captain and her and that was actually the reason she cared about it now.

"I think we have a betrayer on board", Base suddenly continued as if it cost him some courage to finally spill it. He was looking at her carefully as if he was trying to see something in her reaction. As if he was trying to find some evidence that she was part of this betrayal.

Emma simply stared him in confusion and surprise. She didn't know what to say since she had heard, that he was certain about it, in his voice, "what?"

Whatever it was he saw in her reaction it seemed to ease his mind and he sighed, "yes. And it's already been like that for a long time now."

"Tell me everything from the start", she said and took a seat in front of him on the desk crossing her arms in front of her chest. She would hear him out and try to decide what to do then. If there really was a traitor on board then not just their lives would be in danger but their plans as well. They might not accomplish anything if the people who were spying on them would work against them.

"Two nights before we landed and ran into you, it was my turn to take the night shift. It was very dark and cold so I didn't expect anybody to show up on deck. There was no reason for it since we were in the middle of the sea and nobody usually shows up on deck in the middle of the night there. And still I didn't notice him right away", he said almost guiltily, "that alone is already suspicious."

"What happened", Emma asked to speed it up. For some reason the rush he had been in before seemed to have completely vanished now.

"Someone had sneaked on deck and when I noticed him, he ran away from me and disappeared without even making one sound", he said as if it made everything clear, "I didn't believe it to be important, so I wanted to ignore it but then I found these feathers and one of those bundles you bind to a bird's leg to deliver messages."

"So? Maybe someone was homesick", she said and shrugged, "maybe someone wanted to write to a woman he was missing too much."

He glared at her, "of the pirates traveling the longest with us nobody has left any family and the others don't know the Jolly Roger good enough to escape from me without even making one sound. They always step on a plank that creaks or is broken and needs to be repaired. I would have noticed them."

"And what about a woman or several", she asked still skeptically.

"But don't you think it to be strange that Snake ran right into you the first evening we were in that town? And that Smee was convinced by someone on board that we should attack you?"

"What does that mean he was convinced", Emma asked and frowned. There was still nothing special about it except for this little part. It was strange.

"When he woke up in his cabin the next morning someone had shoved a paper through underneath Smee's door, telling him that you were a bounty hinter, who had collected Snakes bounty, and convincing him that it would be a vice decision to attack you without even telling the captain. The point is nobody of the crew had even noticed that Snake had been missing then. Those who had noticed that he hadn't returned yet had believed him to be with some strumpet or lying drunk in a corner of the streets. It wouldn't have been the first time. But nobody knew that he had been caught. I asked everyone and was asked myself about it when Smee decided to attack you. I know what I'm talking about."

Something was off with that story. She needed a moment to think it through while Base continued to defend his opinion about those incidents, that still didn't seem to be of any concern or connected to each other in any way.

"But when you attacked me, Smee said that he had been there when I caught your mate, didn't he?"

Base sighed, "that was a lie for the latest members of the crew. He had only told us old ravens about it because he had believed us to be the ones who had written that letter to him. We spent most of our time with Snake usually."

She still wasn't convinced of his theory. There was nothing that would have made her think about a traitor on board, but as she wanted to tell him so, he hurried to continue his explanations as if he had noticed her skepticism, "but that wasn't everything yet. When we escaped from Cora someone cut off the lines of the main sail. Hook was told that they had reaped apart, but when I checked on them I noticed that they had been cut to slow us down."

"I hadn't even noticed that."

"Because Blackpool had climbed up fast enough to exchange them", Base said, "and there was even more. When we traveled to the castle of this Snow White and her husband I saw someone sending another dove and again I couldn't catch anyone and nobody knew anything about sending a dove when I asked the next day."

"You really asked everyone", Emma asked skeptically.

"The thing is, it had to be someone of the elder members", he pointed out, "I already toll you, didn't I? I would have caught him if he wasn't that familiar with the Jolly Roger as I am and that time I was on alert."

"So?"

"As I asked the others Blackpool said he had noticed something as well but he hadn't been able to catch anybody. According to his words there must have been a strong exchange because he had noticed something like that for several times. Remember what happened in that castle?"

"The wrong track", Emma said slowly even though she wasn't certain if he knew about it yet. Hook didn't reveal everything to his men after all.

"What wrong track", he asked confused and watched her carefully.

She sighed, "when we entered that castle we were searching for something but we only found a hint that lead us to Cora. The track had been placed as obvious that others should have noticed it before us, but still we seemed to be the first ones to see it."

"Well, then you won't like what I've got to tell you now", he said almost relieved and certain that she would believe him now, "on our way to the witch there had been other incidences like that just like the night before we anchored in King Frederic's realm."

"Each time something bad has happened, right?"

"Yes. I teamed up with Blackpool to keep track of it but we never were able to catch him nor to find out about the letters that were sent or received", he said darkly and almost frustrated now, "but what bothers me is…"

"What?"

"Until recently I believed our fight with you had been a set up to get you on board", he said slowly watching her as if he wanted to analyze her reaction while listening to him, "but after that every time something happened you were risking your live as well."

"So", she asked slowly. She was worried about the conclusion he might have come to during this time he had been rethinking this.

"I had believed you to be part of this", he continued, "so I kept an eye on you, but you put your live just as much in danger as Hook and us. And if you would have been part of it you wouldn't have done your best to get him out of that prison and save me as well, would you?"

"Yes."

"But when we attacked you, Hook hadn't been involved at all", he said slowly as if he was still wondering about it, "so this couldn't be about killing him at least not only…"

Emma froze as his gaze wandered up to her again. He hesitated to say what was going through his mind and she had a hard time to understand it since she wasn't as familiar with the entire subject as him. His face turned into a white mask that didn't move for a long moment as he stared at her with his mouth opened, "maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to tell you."

"What do you mean", she asked impatient. She was sick of his cryptically behavior just now.

"Well, our fight obviously was set up by someone", he started to explain, "but the goal of that couldn't be harming Hook, since he wasn't involved in it. It can't have been about us crewmembers was well, since we were too many and to all your respect nobody would have expected you to win against us. That means…"

"Someone wanted to get rid of me and tried to use you guys to do it", she asked skeptically even though it sounded plausible even in her ears. She didn't like this thought, "but there is nobody who could consider me to be important enough to be killed, Base."

"Or someone just didn't want you to team up with Hook", he concluded slowly. They were silent for a long moment in which they stared at different points in the room that slowly turned darker according to the way they were feeling, because the bright light of the magic surrounding them vanished from their view. That also meant that Hook might return soon.

"No matter what it is about", Base finally said darkly, "it doesn't change that someone is a traitor and he is willing to put all of our lives at stake."

Emma frowned, "what about last night. Wasn't it your shift? Did you notice someone?"

He swallowed hard, "yes. But nothing has happened yet."

"You call this nothing", she asked sarcastically and pointed at the ship, "we were almost sunk."

"But nobody could send a kraken."

"At least nobody without magical powers", she concluded darkly and looked up to him seriously.

"You mean Rumpelstiltskin?"

She remembered her conversations with the wizard. He didn't want her to be here but he didn't want her to die, too, or he wouldn't try to convince her to travel back to Snow White's castle all the time. No, he wanted her to be there because he needed her to do something which meant he should be interested in keeping her alive. Sending a kraken for an attack like this would be way too risky since she might be killed.

"I don't know", she said slowly and bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to tell him about her little conversations with Rumpelstiltskin, "maybe it was somebody else. Someone must have told Cora that we would arrive there after all."

"Regina?"

"We have a common goal and I believe we are an important tool for her at least up until recently, so it wouldn't make sense to boycott us before today's incident."

"So you believe me", he asked with something that sounded suspiciously like hope in his voice.

"You need to tell Hook", she stated instead of answering him, "he needs to know this."

"He won't believe me", Base repeated, "I'm suspecting someone of our eldest mates to try to kill us. We've been traveling around for a very long time now, a time span you would never even imagine. That created a bond between us. We trust each other to a certain point and we rely on each other cause that's what makes live like this even possible. I have no proof for anything I just told you. He won't believe me until I can show something to him. I need evidence."

"So what is your plan now", she asked curious and exhausted from everything that had happened today.

"So you really believe me."

"I'm not certain yet", she said slowly and carefully, "it could be possible that you're the traitor and the only reason you're telling me all this is to distract us with searching for you."

Base grinned at her almost evilly, "I see. What do you need as proof?"

"Answer me just one question", she demanded to his surprise. She knew what he was thinking with just one glance. What could one question change about her distrust? How could one question proof anything to her?

"What?"

"Have you ever taken advantage of Hook's trust in you", she asked, "have you ever lied to him?"

"I did", he said hesitating but keeping eye contact to her anyway, "I was the reason Milah ran into Rumpelstiltskin and him."

Emma stared at him in disbelieve, "what?"

"I had been supposed to make certain she wouldn't find out anything about his duel with the wizard. He had wanted to protect her and we all had known that she wouldn't just sit back and let him fight on his own. I had been distracted for just one second by a strumpet, I don't even remember what she had been looking like anymore, as she suddenly disappeared into the streets. She must have had overheard someone talking about it in the tavern, someone of our men or some strangers who had overheard something. You must know, there was a time rumors like that hadn't been able to be kept hidden for long. Instead they had spread all over town within an eye blink and Hook had always been someone catching attention back then.

Of course he asked me about my failure back then, but I lied to him. I told him Milah had tricked me and that she had noticed something was off because it had been unusual for me to be around her that much and for so long. Of course I apologized for it over and over again", he sighed, "and not just for her death but for my lie as well, because he blamed himself for not talking with her about it. And I swore that I'd do anything to protect him."

Truth.

There was a heavy silence in the room hanging between them like a dark cloud. It had been a lot to take in within just some minutes so it was no surprise that she felt a little exhausted after everything she had heard just now. But the most shocking thing about it was Base's reasons for being as loyal to his captain as he actually was. She hadn't noticed even a single lie in his words and it was quite risky to tell her such a story, knowing that Hook might want to get rid of him out of an old pain that might catch up to him hearing this truth.

Emma cleared her throat, "and what are you planning to do now?"

Base looked up to her in surprise. He had been too lost in his thoughts to expect her to say anything as it seemed, "I need to find evidence for my theory."

"I still think you should tell him", she stated, "he needs to know and he needs to hear it from you because he won't listen to me in these matters."

"Why that", he looked at her in surprise.

"Because he already freaked out when he heard that I decided to save him and that you guys followed my instructions."

"Who told him that?"

"Smee, as it seems", she said slowly and remembered someone standing in a crowed like he was completely uninterested, before he tried to get out of a castle they had planned to escape from together. Maybe that had been nothing. It wasn't worth to mention it.

Base frowned lost in his own thoughts before he sighed and snapped out of it, "before I tell him anything I need some evidence for my theory. So Blackpool and I will keep on searching and watch out for any letter exchange on deck."

"Fine", Emma said slowly and placed her hands to both sides of her on the edge of the desk to push up herself, "but I think you should consider that the traitor might not just be one person on board."

"What do you mean", he asked as he stood up to leave the room and froze in his movement.

Emma swallowed, "that means that the traitor might have teamed up with someone and that means we shouldn't just suspect elder members of the crew but everyone to work together with him."

He looked at her bewildered, "if you mean Blackpool-"

"I don't really consider him to be involved in this but we should be careful anyway", she disturbed him, "or do you have any reason to trust him about this matter?"

Base looked at the chair in which he had been sitting just seconds ago, "yes. He was the only mate besides me who questioned Smee's decision to attack you with as many men and keep it secret from Hook back then. He even almost argued with him."

"So what?"

Base sighed, "I don't know. But why would he boycott his own plan like this? If he would have kept discussing this with Smee, he would have succeeded in stopping all of us."

"It could be a façade to keep his secret", Emma said slowly and followed him to the door, "I'll check on him. I don't really want to believe it myself, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down."

The pirate stopped in front of the door and peeked outside to check if the hall was free and he could leave without anybody noticing him, "by the way, why do you even believe me?"

"Because you didn't lie to me", Emma said looking at him honestly what seemed to confuse him for a moment, "you told me this immense secret about Milah and you and you didn't lie to me for even a single time despite you perfectly knew I could use it against you."

He let out a breath, "you can't know that for sure."

"I do", she said as self-confident as she felt in this moment, "and I'll know it when I talk with Blackpool, too. I believe you. That you called me a strumpet on the other hand…"

"Lately I felt as if someone was watching me", he said as he opened the door, "I just wanted to make sure nobody would notice that something was different. Don't get me wrong. I still don't trust you completely but for some reason I'd like to try."

"Good", Emma said a little surprised, "in that case we should keep this a secret."

"But not in front of Hook", Base said as he left the room and walked down the hall, "he tends to notice stuff like that, at least if it's about a woman."

Emma frowned and closed the door again before she leaned back at it. Base had just given her a lot to think about and she couldn't help but already think of a person who might be the one man they were looking for. The thing was that she didn't know who he was working for and if she interpreted what she had observed rightly who he was working for. Who could want to kill them like that having magical powers that were strong enough to summon a kraken to attack them? Or had the attack of the kraken just been a coincidence and something big was about to come? Was there another reason for everything that had happened besides killing them? She looked through the room but she couldn't notice anything missing. Or was it about prince Henry?

Hadn't Hook really noticed anything yet? She could hardly imagine that. But she wouldn't be the one to talk about it with him. Base had to or he could get in real trouble when Hook would believe him to betray him through it instead of listening to their assumptions.

* * *

"What are you doing", Snow White asked concerned while watching her. It wasn't like she didn't trust her, but she couldn't help but feel strange watching her doing magic in her own home. If she was honest, she felt threatened by it, but she knew that this feeling was nothing but an echo of old times.

"You said you wanted to know clearly if someone was spying on us here, didn't you? And since finding out the truth about this theory is the only way to convince you of our plan on this subject, you should just let me do my work", Regina said and bound together some herbs she had brought with her. The plants were as fresh as she could still smell them throughout the entire room, "and what are you doing with those?"

Instead of answering her, Regina held up the bundle and with one movement of her finger, a small flame appeared on the very top of it and increased quite fast, before grey smoke emitted from it. It smelled of the herbs even more.

Snow watched the smoke, placing a hand upon her nose and wandered what this might be good for even more. At least she couldn't see anything special that would have made it worth to endure that smell. Regina on the contrary was wandering through Henry's bedroom as if she was following something only she could see. She was focused on something invisible that lead her to the bed, then to the hearth.

"What do you see", Snow asked impatient after a moment, when she was almost certain, that waiting wouldn't change anything about the fact, that she couldn't see, what the woman in front of her obviously saw.

Regina who had returned to the door to start her little journey all over again, was pale by now, but the fire getting closer to her fingers didn't seem to be the reason for it at all. She didn't even notice how close it had gotten to her fingers as it seemed which meant there was something else she had noticed and Snow wasn't certain, that she wanted to know about it anymore.

"Give me a moment", Regina answered and walked through the room again after turning to the hall. She seemed to be disappointed about something. But about what? Snow watched her walking through the room a little directionless, just as if she couldn't see which way to go. As if she was a little confused.

She sighed and resisted the urge to walk up and down the room impatiently, knowing it would only trouble the witch, who disappeared in the wardrobe now. When she came back she returned to the door and turned off the flames. She definitely was disappointed and a little exhausted from concentrating, maybe.

"So", Snow asked again even more impatient than before, since her question hadn't been answered earlier, "there is nothing, right?"

"No", Regina said darkly and stared at the room, the entire place is filled with tracks of several magical beings, but only one person has filled the entire room with her or his track. I can't follow the track because I can't decide where to go. At some places like the bed that track turns from a line into a huge spot. I tried to follow it outside anyway, but right outside this room it simply vanishes. I still don't know if there is anything at the windows, because the smoke didn't reach that far and I was too busy searching through the rest of the room, before the herbs had burned down too far."

"What does that mean? I thought you couldn't find anything, when you searched through this room earlier? Why now?"

"That means, who ever it was , who was in here, spent more than a week in this room and might even still be there", Regina said darkly and shoved the burned herbs back into her bag as soon a sshe was certain it had cooled down again. She didn't want to leave any track to what she had done or she would have thrown them into the hearth, Snow realized.

"But what really bothers me is, that everything I found out so far, was left here so I would find it. It's true, earlier I couldn't find something and that means, that somebody must have wanted me to find this track, which means, that someone indeed has been listening to us.

Snow was nervous. The more Regina's words entered her mind forming into meanings the paler she turned as realization struck. That meant the person who had kidnapped Henry had been here for quite some time before her son had disappeared and it might be possible that the person was still here watching their grieve and their pain and spying on them, knowing their steps and staying some steps ahead from them all the time. Everything they might have done to get him back might already have been spoiled to the culprit right from the beginning. And they hadn't even noticed it. But who was the spy? It was important to know, to find out how much had been spoiled. And to avoid it from now on. What if it wasn't a spy but a betrayer? Could it be possible that one of her own friends had switched sides and was betraying them now? Just the imagination of that felt like hell.

Snow sighed in frustration and pushed that idea into the back of her mind, where she would leave it until she would have time and strength to deal with it, "is there really no way to find out who?"

"The track ends in front of that door", Regina said pointing behind her, "I don't know how, but whoever it is, managed to cover it somehow. And again, it's not a good sign. Actually it convinces me even more, that I found this on purpose and I don't to be played around with like a puppet."

"Is there no way to find out?"

Regina's expression darkened even more, "there is someone we could ask, since he is the only person I know, who could do something like this, but he'll ask for something in return and I'm not certain either of us wants to pay it."

Rumpelstiltskin. But Regina was right. At the moment she had nothing to offer and she couldn't imagine what he would ask for. When he had escaped their prison without any trouble and leaving nothing but a blank scroll of paper behind, it had been obvious that this entire charade of catching him, had been nothing but fake and he had used them for something they still didn't understand. He was more than dangerous.

But what wouldn't she do to get her son back. The answer was she would do anything for it. She was almost dying to find out where he was. If he was fine. If he missed her just as much as her but was able to cope with it. If he would sleep well. If he was eating properly. If he was healthy. If he was even alive.

"I have an idea", Regina said slowly, "we could change the place for our discussions to my castle."

"What?"

"Yes", she walked up to her, "and during that time I'll try to find a solution for this problem."

"We could simply ask him", Snow said slowly realizing that she didn't care about what she would have to give in return to get Henry back.

"Don't be reckless", Regina warned in a very serious voice to her surprise, "maybe there will be a time that will make such a deal even more important than now."

"What could be more important than finding Henry?"

"Could it be you've been thinking about asking for his help all this time?"

"Why not? We're wasting time."

Regina sighed and walked up to her, "you don't know, what he will ask for in return."

"I'll do anything for Henry."

"Me, too. But that doesn't mean that I'll loose my mind doing it", she stated a little annoyed now, "what if he asks for Henry in return?"

She couldn't breath for a moment. She hand't thought of that possibility for even a second. And still Snow forced herself to talk, "why should he do that? He couldn't keep his word, if he'd ask for him." One thing was clear. If she would really want his help, she wouldn't ask to know who was behind all this, but for Henry.

"Or he could ask for his life at his eighteenth birthday. Or for his first child."

"We would find a solution for this."

"Like you did with Cinderella? As far as I know her big love disappeared when you tried to betray him and get out of her deal."

"You still didn't answer me, why he should do that."

"To punish us", Regina said as if it was the simplest thing in the world, "he wanted that curse to unfold at least as badly as I, if not even more. He is really angry about that. And on top of that you lost the only person who could stop what the curse turned into. Besides that we don't know what he is after. Nobody ever knows."

"I'd take that risk anyway. All I want is, to get Henry back."

"And I'd do it too, but just if I'd know that Henry really is safe back home and that whoever took him, can't hurt him again and Rumpelstiltskin neither."

Snow sighed. She was right, but it hurt like hell to even think like that. But even though she admitted it to herself, she hoped it wouldn't turn out like that anyway. She just didn't want to give up hope, that it would turn out differently, even though through her experiences of searching for Emma and Henry she knew, that hope could be a double-edged sword. It could lift you to new options and help you to reach your goals and expand your skills and strength or it could let you fall to the ground after lifting you to the heavens, what was even more painful or at least she imagined it to be worse.

Fine, for now she would push the idea of asking Rumpelstiltskin in the back of her mind but she knew she wouldn't forget about it until Henry would be back. Maybe she would even use it to find Emma then. When they had lost their baby girl the wizard hadn't answered their calls and after everything Regina had just told her, she could even imagine why. But now a lot of time had passed and it had to be important for him to break the curse, because time was running out for him, too. As the Blue Fairy, had said the twenty-nine years would be over soon and then they would all die, if they had magical powers or not.

"Okay", she gave up for now and decided to discuss this again later but with Charming, "and what now? What do we do now?"

"Get Charming, we change our location", Regina said seriously, "I don't trust this place anymore. It feels as if the walls had ears and I hate it."

True, it was strange. Actually it was even more than strange, to know that someone might by spying at them and it was even worse knowing that this place was her home, but it was exactly that, her home. She had left a place called home like this before and she didn't want to do it again. She wanted to fight for this one even more than she had tried it for the last one. She had made this place her home, her save haven and it would be the place her children would come back to, if they would be found. With her simple sounding words Regina pulled away the ground below her feet without even realizing it.

Snow White took a deep breath, before she followed the witch outside and down the hall, but when she reached Emma's room, she stopped and stared at the closed door.

"What's wrong", Regina asked stopping as well as she noticed her. As she recognized the door she was silent and lost in her own thoughts as it seemed. Snow White didn't care. She remembered the last time, she had been in there and wondered if she would feel the same way as back then, if she'd enter that room again. Would she feel strong again? Would she be encouraged to stay and find the spy or even to summon the Dark One to make the deal she was hesitating to make in fear it could cause more damage than help? Or would it give her the strengths to leave and endure her pain of losing both her children, knowing that she'd get them back, because hope wasn't as fragile as she had learned the hard way.

The last time she had entered that room, she had found back hope. Would she learn to trust this hope like in the past, if she'd go in there once more?

Snow walked up to the door, refusing herself to doubt a room to have such influence on her and hugging her hope it would do so instead. She opened the door and stepped into the dark room keeping her breath. She waited and recognized everything in here even though it was dark. But nothing changed. Nothing. It was disappointing and she felt ridiculous for holding on to the hope it would. But she had learned something as she realized exiting the room. She had remembered the feeling of trusting her hope just like she had done in the past and the room had nothing to do with it. She had simply used it as a tool and nothing more.

She walked up to Regina, who had watched her with a puzzled expression. But if the room had nothing to do with her newfound hope what then? The woman she had found in here? How? Who was she? Hadn't Regina said something about Captain Hook? But if that woman was connected to the pirate, than how could somebody like that influence her positively?

Snow snapped out of her thoughts as she reached the base of the stairs and realized, that Regina had been following her in silence. It was as if they had switched roles now. The witch seemed to be lost in her thoughts just like she had been a moment ago. What was she thinking about no? The past? Or had all this talk about children and what parents would do for them reminded her of her own mother and her relationship to her?

Snow had known Cora and at some point in her past with her she had stopped to feel sorry for the witch and had simply hated her for the decisions she had made and the way she had made them. In fact that person had been the first one she had hated honestly. Cora had been deceiving, cheating on everyone, playing with dreams and hopes and trust she received from others to her hearts content, selfish, hungry for power of every kind, greedy, deciding, missing every kind of empathy and emotionless towards others, including her own daughter. IN other words she considered her to be pure evil and she was glad she was gone for good now. Snow didn't even have a problem to imagine her to be dead even though she knew it better and understood that she had just vanished into another world. But she also understood very well that Regina might not be thinking and feeling like her.

No matter what she had done, Cora had been her mother and had raised her to a woman, who had saved a little girl's live without knowing her or even a second thought, before she had damaged her by betraying Snows trust and her good intentions that was. So for sure there had to be something good Regina could remember about her and if not, the fact that she was her mother might already be enough to make her miss her and regret her own actions, despite everything that had happened between them. She had just send away her own mother. Her mother, who had been in a bad shape, when she had send her away, after everything she had told them. And she would never be able to see her again, nor to try to apologize or talk everything through, that had happened during all those years.

Snow remembered her own mother's death as if it had been just yesterday and even though it wasn't hurting as badly anymore as it had been back then, her sorrow and loss was just as real as it had been back then. She had learned to cope with it somehow, just like she had managed to overcome her grieve for not using that bloody candle, she had believed to be a gift of the Blue Fairy.

So she could understand Regina maybe even a little better than anyone else, because not helping her own mother, allowed her to emphasize with her sending hers away for good. Through doing nothing or doing everything, they had both been involved in their mother's deaths somehow and sending Cora way for sure felt like that.

Snow sighed. Hell, even if there was nothing good Regina could remember about her mother she for certain must have loved her. She had kept calling her mother after all and she hadn't killed her instead of sending her away. Maybe there was still a little girl inside her that would accept and do everything for her mother's love despite all the pain, disappointment and hatred she received from her. She knew that something like that existed, she had seen it herself. Children being hurt and used by their parents, clinging even more to them, than they would have usually done, if they would have had loving parents, because love was what they were craving for.

Regina had lost that woman just days ago and they hadn't even considered her feelings for just a single moment. They hadn't comforted her, hadn't talked about it enough and they hadn't cared at all. They had only seen the mask of strength she had hidden her true feelings with and had believed it to be true. They had taken her actions as given without empathizing with her for even a second. And Snow wasn't willing to believe Henry and their worries for him to be the only reason. No, they hadn't thought about any of this because it had been easy nothing else. And there it was, her guilty conscience that proofed her right about all of this.

"Ahm", she said slowly and Regina snapped out of her thoughts putting on her mask again. She hesitated as she recognized the strong expression in her eyes. There was the same determination she had seen, when she had been running from her, but it wasn't directed at her.

"We will find him", Regina said as if they had been arguing about it just a moment ago and she wanted to make her point clear. As if she wanted to convince not just her but herself as well, "we definitely will find him."

"Yes", Snow said sounding not as strong as her because she was a little confused of her reaction now. Could it be the woman in front of her hadn't been thinking about her mother but about Emma? Maybe she had compared what had happened to her with what was going on with Henry now. That sounded plausible, she had to admit. But still she wouldn't forget to address Cora's disappearance. She would definitely try to comfort her as soon as the right time would be there. It was important.

A door opened and the Blue Fairy and Charming walked up to them. Well, now apparently wasn't the right moment.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed it. :-)


	12. Flashback

11\. Flashback

They had changed their location two weeks ago and ever since, Snow was stuck at Regina's, while her husband kept traveling between this place and home, where he was taking care of their duties as King and Queen, pretending that nothing had changed at all. Even Regina spent more time at her home than her, what was more than strange, especially since she missed her home so badly and she was all alone in this place most of the time. Regina still tried to find a way to find the track, she had noticed before, outside of Henry's room and had found several places that could be used to spy on them and maybe even had been used for that for real. Nevertheless, she hadn't found the culprit, what was frustrating. But no matter who it was, had to have magical powers or Regina wouldn't have found anything, what eased her worries at least a little. It meant, that nobody of her friends could be betraying them, since except for the Blue Fairy and Nova nobody had any magic and Regina would have done the hell to spoil anything that would have allowed them to question her loyalty to them.

However, her old home, the place where she had grown up at so many years ago, was just as unfamiliar as she had never ever been here. Regina really had made this place her own and yet it seemed to be different from the last time she had been here and accepted this bloody apple. Everything was different. Somehow it was less colorful and lively as she could remember from her childhood and at the same time less cold and emotionless as she could remember from Regina's most evil times. It was strange, but she after so many years of imagining to come back here again without anything threatening her life, she had to notice that this simply wasn't her home anymore and there was nothing left, that would have addicted her to this place. Nothing but the graves of her parents maybe.

During those two weeks she had had a lot of time to wander around here, but something always had stopped her from actually exploring her birthplace. Whatever it had been, it was gone now or she simply didn't notice it anymore, because she just was too bored to care any longer. The first thing she wanted to check on was her old bedchamber. While she had been running from Regina all this time, she had been wondering about that room the most. What had Regina done with it, after she had survived her assassinations. What had she done with the room of the one person she had wanted to see dead so badly and had made her angry through surviving?

She could remember her room as if it had been just yesterday that she had left it the last time. She remembered how she had been plying in it on rainy days with her mother and her sometimes even with her father, but most of the time with her wet nurse. She could remember how her father had come to say goodnight every evening before she had slept in before and especially after her mother's death. She remembered her mother waking her up gently in the morning and how she had comforted her, when she had been sick or sad. She remembered how her father had been there for her after her mother's death, sitting on the edge of her bed while she hadn't even been able to find the strength to cry anymore. She remembered how she had tried to climb out of the window to reach a bird sitting on the roof and her wet nurse saving her together with some guards she had called, because they had been the closest to her room. And she remembered every single time she had been scolded in her bedroom, what had happened quite a lot especially after her mother's death, just like she remembered mourning her father's death in there as well. Not to mention the good times she had shared with Regina in there. The times she had valued until she had understood that Regina had just put on an act to cover up how much she had despised her already back then.

She was all alone since everyone else was so busy, making her feeling even more useless. But even though everything was so different now, she was still able to find the right staircase without anybody helping her. They had tried to appease her by telling her, that she would be the connection between all of them, because all information would end up in this castle with her. But Snow wasn't foolish enough to believe that. No, they didn't need anybody to connect them in this castle, since the location was completely unimportant to connect all of them, even though the Blue Fairy still refused to work with Regina and trust her, which included sharing information of any kind with her directly. They didn't need her to be here or to connect them to each other, so she definitely had every reason to feel useless. Knowing Charming and her friends she could already imagine where what this really was about. He wanted to protect her and for some reason neither of them would have ever believed to be possible at all, he had come to the conclusion, that Regina's castle would be the safest place for her right now.

So while Regina was using her magic to track down the spy at her home, Charming was coordinating the research with their friends at the same place, Robin was searching through the woods and listening to what people had to say about Henry or somebody strange at the castle with his friends and the Blue Fairy stretched her sensors hoping to notice Henry needing help somewhere within her reach and asking her other fairies to do the same, she was just sitting around and wasting time.

The thing was, while she understood, that he would worry for her and would want to protect her like this, she just couldn't understand why she shouldn't do anything to find Henry herself. She wanted Charming to be save as well and still she didn't lock him up somewhere. Nor did anybody agree on locking him, like obviously everyone seemed to be fine with her staying at home, while everyone else was fighting. They had gone through so many things together, that she would have expected him to trust her a little more and to believe in their strength as a couple just like he had done it in the past. She had never been the damsel in need and she hated to be treated like one. And still she was here.

Snow sighed as she stopped in front of the staircase, that lead up into the tower where her bedroom had been all those years ago. Maybe it was stupid, but she was nervous to see it again. She didn't know what to expect. A part of her wanted to see the same room she had left, when she had escaped from Regina, but the bigger part of her knew that it wouldn't turn out like that. That part doubted, that her room would still be anything close to what it had been back than and considered it to be possible, that everything inside was burned down or destroyed. Maybe it even was a grave or something like that now. She was insecure, but she took the first step towards it and up that huge staircase anyway.

As she had made it half the way up, she was surprised to notice just how exhausted she was. In her childhood she had been able to run up and down those stairs several times a day and when she had been running from Regina, she had been fit, too. So just why was she breathing heavily now? And why were her legs and ankles burning and hurting so much now? Why did her back feel as if she was carrying somebody up on it? And why was she feeling ill, when she was looking down at her feet? Not to mention that she already was hungry again, even though she had just ate something around twenty minutes ago. She even needed to use the handrail to steady herself until she reached the top, feeling as if she had run up the stairs.

She was surprised to notice that she was standing in front of two soldiers, who left enough space to her that she could lean against the wall, when the world seemed to run wild in crazy circles. She had circulation problems. Despite the fact that the soldiers allowed her to rest a few feet away from the staircase, they were still looking at her, as if she was a potential threat and even used their weapons to guard the door behind their back, as if she might jump at them any minute. They didn't say even a single word, what was even more awkward than their behavior.

When she had enough breath again, Snow tried to pass them, but they used their lances to stop her instead of telling her so. She stared at them in surprise and tried to sort out, what to do next and how to react to this. This wasn't her home anymore, so she couldn't say anything, that would change their reactions, she knew that, but she was still a guest in this castle and she wanted to be treated as one. Everything would be better than being treated like a criminal.

Since they hadn't welcomed her, she decided it wouldn't be necessary to greet them, too. "What is in there", she asked curious now and placed her hands on her sides like her mother had done it, after she had climbed out of her window as a child.

"Who are you", one of the guards finally said slowly. His voice sounded metallic because he was still wearing his helmet. He had even pulled down his helm visor, what seemed almost ridiculous in a castle like this.

"My name is Snow White", she said with all the strength she could come up with, which wasn't much, since she was still feeling ill and the strength of their armors was making her feel insecure, because she didn't have anything to protect herself and felt as if she had stumbled into a war or something like that.

The guard, who hadn't said anything yet, stepped back and almost forced his partner to do the same and let her through, "nice to meet you."

Snow didn't wait any longer to hear their argument about it and walked up to the door. And still she overheard the second guard saying, that Regina had ordered to treat her as a guest and had forbidden anybody to even get in her way. The point was, nothing of this had been necessary since the door to her old bedroom was locked anyway and she didn't have the guts to break in.

Snow sighed and stared at the door just noticing the small grid in the size of a window in it. This wasn't her old bedroom door but one of the prison doors, she recognized from the cellar. She had seen it, when she had become twelve. Why did it belong to this room? Had she taken a wrong way and had ended up in another tower? Or had Regina really turned her bedchamber into a prison? What was in there?

"What is in there", she asked the guards without looking away from it, before she got on her tips and tried to look inside through the grid anyway. It was too dark and she couldn't see anything, but since the guards were protecting this door, there had to be something important to Regina or somebody, she wanted to lock away really badly in there.

"We have no idea", the friendly guard answered, "we aren't allowed to get close to the door."

What?

Snow froze and leaned back again, as she noticed something was moving inside. She took a step back just in case something might jump at her. Who knew what Regina was keeping in there? Everything could be possible. She waited for another reaction, but there was nothing, so she stepped closer again. Questioning herself and wondering if she'd imagined things she shouted inside, "hello? Is anybody in there?"

There was a sound of rattling chains, that were pulled across the floor, before someone suddenly appeared as close to the window as Snow winced back in surprise again. If she wasn't mistaken, then there was a woman in there and she looked like a ghost. Her face was pale, her skin was thin and her cheeks were emaciated. Her hair was a mess as it surrounded her face in matted brown strands, but her skin was cleaned just like her fingernails were cut, as she grabbed a part of the grid an reached with the other one through it. If Snow wasn't mistaken, she had even tried to bind back her hair, but as matted as it was you could hardly notice it.

The guards behind her didn't seem to notice anything like there was an invisible wall between them now, which could explain, why they hadn't noticed her yet. Regina had ordered them to stay away from the door. Maybe the reason was, that she didn't want them to notice her. And it worked the other way around, too. Even though the men were talking like before she couldn't hear anything they said. There wasn't even a single sound not even from their armors that reached her ears.

But Snow didn't care about it anymore. All that mattered was the woman in front of her, who stared at her through the grid in the door between them, as if she was the first person she saw in years.

"Hello", Snow said calmly in lack of a better word, "who are you?"

"M..m..chrm", she cleared her throat and when she talked her voice sounded scratchy, "my name is Belle."

Snow assumed her voice to be scratchy, because she hadn't used it for quite some time now. She felt sorry for Belle and if she would have known a way she would have opened the door, but there was no lock she could break, so the door had to be locked magically and she didn't know a way to break a magical lock.

"My name is Snow White", she introduced herself, "why are you in there?"

Belle sighed and looked at her hand she was touching the bars in the door with. She frowned, "I guess because of the man I love. Can you get me out of here?"

She searched for something she could break up to open the door once more, but she just couldn't find something, "I'm sorry, but I don't know how."

Belle's expression darkened as if she was disappointed and she felt as if she was looking at bird, that was longing to be freed and felt lost, because she pushed the cage door shut in front of it.

Snow smiled to support her and give her strength, even though she felt terrible, "you're in love?"

"Yes", she answered in a soft voice and her expression revealed how sad she really was, "I haven't seen him for twenty-eight years and eleven days. Ever since I have been locked up in here."

"And how long haven't you talked to anybody yet?"

"I don't know. Regina is the only one, who usually shows up here", Belle said and sounded angry, "but she must have been quite busy lately."

"Who is this man, you're in love with?"

Belle stepped back into the shadows again, so she couldn't see her anymore and there was nothing but silence for quite some time. When she spoke again, she didn't answer her question but asked something herself out of the dark. It was as if the dark room was talking to her and not a person inside it, "why are you here?"

Snow sighed and leaned at the door, before she told her everything about the spy at home. Through talking with her, she lost track and revealed more to her than she had ever wanted to, until she told her about Henry and her fears and Emma and her pain of losing both of her children. She even told her how angry she was, that she couldn't do anything, because nobody would let her do anything, which was something she hadn't fully realized herself yet. Snow had no idea why, but the longer they talked, the more she liked Belle and the less she could understand why Regina might have locked her up for such a long time. At the same time she couldn't imagine, that the Regina she knew today, would lock somebody up like this without a real and honest reason instead of pure evilness, like it would have been the reason years ago. She would talk with her, question her and she would ask her to let her go. But even before that there already was something she could do and that was to make sure, that Belle would be treated better and would look more healthy than she obviously did now. No matter what the reason behind this was, there was no justification for treating her as badly as this.

* * *

It was raining. Water rushed down the streets in small rivers streaming through between the stones of the pavement. The light of a few lanterns shimmered in the wet stones. Nobody was outside on the streets. Everyone had escaped inside the houses or into stables to prevent themselves from getting soaked wet. So the tavern was quite crowded that night even without some men of the crew they had taken along so nobody would question Hook's presence or his appearance. It would have been strange if only the captain of the Jolly Roger would have come to the tavern leaving his entire crew on board of his ship, which had landed just recently at the little harbor. Nevertheless, they had only taken the longest members of his crew along, because Hook had believed it to be safer for their plan. He had decided, that the risk of someone spilling something because he was drunk would be smaller, if they would take the most experienced pirates along, who were more practiced in drinking and knew what they could say and what they couldn't mention under any circumstances no matter how drunk they were. The men who wouldn't reveal to much, even if they would say something.

Howsoever after everything Base had told her, she wasn't as certain as Hook that it was a good idea at all. Neither of them had told Hook anything about their conversation yet; Base because he still hadn't found any evidence for his hunch and she, because she somehow knew that Base was right and Hook would never believe her anything without any proof. They only good thing about all this was that not every pirate of the elder crew was with them. Like that they could be lucky and not everything about their plan might be revealed to anyone. The bad thing about it was, that Base had been chosen to come along and nobody was taking care of the Jolly Roger except for Blackpool, who could hardly stand against everyone else on board, since he was just a newbie himself.

She had questioned the pirate and for some reason she had liked what he had told her. She hadn't found even a single lie in his words even though he clearly hadn't liked everything she had asked. Yet he had answered her everything honestly.

Emma had thought all this through. They had no idea what the betrayer really wanted, but it seemed like he just wanted to get rid of his captain. Whatever he had done, he was responsible for Cora knowing about their break in and for the wrong track that had lead them to Cora in the first place. Maybe he was even responsible for the attack of the kraken some days ago. The problem was, just who would do something like this? Who with enough power would do something like this? Cora? But Regina had gotten rid of her. At least she had told them so, when they had contacted her and Hook seemed to believe her and there was evidence for it. He could use her name freely again now. They had tried right after their conversation with Regina and nothing had happened to them.

Regina? But she needed them to find the prince, didn't she? And she could have chosen other ways to destroy them. She had known their whole plan. She wouldn't have needed a spy to kill them.

The only other person Emma could think of was the Dark One. He would have been powerful enough to attack them. But maybe he was too powerful to need to attack them like this. Maybe he wouldn't have needed a spy to find them despite the magic of the Jolly Roger, that had protected the pirate for such a long time now. And what reason could he have to hunt for Hook now? He already had taken his revenge on him around three-hundred years ago and he hadn't paid any attention to him ever since, had he? On the other hand he had shown up to convince her to leave Hook behind and had threatened his live to force her. Rumpelstiltskin had wanted her to go back to Snow White's castle so badly, that he would have accepted anything but he couldn't force her. And still she didn't believe it was him, since her live had been in danger, too and nothing had happened to safe her. Besides that he seemed to be the type of villain who enjoyed doing his dirty work himself and to watch it directly.

"Another jug", Base ordered annoyed and hammered his jug on the bar without looking at her. Emma didn't even need to ask what he was looking for. She knew he was watching the rest of the crew secretly and he was annoyed he hadn't been allowed to stay on board. But you don't argue with your captain, especially not if he seemed to rely on you as much as he would insist on you to come along.

Emma filled a jug and shoved it back at him, "here."

Base frowned as he took it, "you know what? For a lass in a bar you don't smile enough."

Emma rolled her eyes. There was good reason for that and as good as she knew him now, she was certain he could already guess what it was. She had to wear a dress and Hook had insisted that she would leave her weapons behind. All of them. It wasn't that much of a deal, since she could defend herself without weapons, but still she felt naked without it. In a bar with drunken men, like this one, it could easily happen that even the waitress was mistaken for a strumpet and treated like nothing else but a piece of flesh. It wasn't like she was scared of them. She was just worried she could screw up their plan through dealing with them. And maybe, deep down, she indeed was a little nervous about it, but she would never admit that to anybody.

"Shut up and drink", she retorted and threw away the cloths she had used to clean other jugs. While he laughed silently, shaking his head in disbelieve, she filled another bunch of jugs and placed several of them on a trail, noticing Hook's glance. He was sitting in a corner with some men of his crew leaning back in his seat and watching her with crossed arms. He seemed to be annoyed and she didn't have to ask for the reason. She was not acting like a barmaid just like Base had noticed earlier. She knew that even without anybody telling her, but she just didn't feel like smiling or even flirting right now.

Somehow she had lost the ability to do any of this the moment he had entered the captain's quarters, waving a brown skirt, a white and dirty shirt and a just equally dirty and white apron in front of her with the words, "you can choose: Waitress or strumpet."

At least there was no reason for her to smile yet. The men they were waiting for weren't there yet and as long as they wouldn't show up, she wouldn't need to put on an act.

After the Jolly Roger had been repaired by Nova it had taken them two entire days to reach this little harbor. If the kraken wouldn't have attacked them, they would never have landed here at all, but they had needed more provisions. And now they were stuck here because of some plan, they had come up with.

* * *

Some days earlier everything had been different. She remembered it very clearly.

* * *

The sun was shining and heated up the air around them strangely. It became hot and somehow even heavy just as if a storm was about to come. As soon as they had landed Hook had given orders to check the Jolly Roger despite his men telling him she was fine and Emma asking how often he was going to give that order until he'd finally believe what everyone already knew and accepted except for him. He had ignored all that and had ordered Smee to take care of the vessel while he would leave with Emma and the men would take care of the provisions. And like that they had ended up at this harbor where the merchants were selling their goods like it was usual in towns at the ocean.

They walked around without saying anything to each other, because neither of them knew what to say or where they would search for the prince next, if they would search for him at all. Not even that was clear, because Regina hadn't contacted them yet. They had been waiting for her to reach out to them during those two days, but she had never done it. Maybe they were off the hook now. Or maybe there had been just too much going on, wherever the witch was, and she hadn't been able to contact them yet.

Hook looked around as if he was searching for a particular merchant, who sold what he was searching for, but he never told her anything about what it was. In fact he barely told her anything lately. Ever since he had told her about his plan of sneaking into the King's castle to steal something from him, he had heard of in King Frederic's prison, he hadn't shared any information with her anymore. Ever since that kraken had attacked them, she had the strange feeling that he was avoiding her and she just couldn't understand why. Could it be, that he had overheard something of her conversation with Base? But he hadn't been anywhere near, when they had been talking. Or was this about the last time they had almost kissed? For some reason she doubted that he was paying as much attention to it as her.

Emma slowed down her steps until she couldn't see Hook anymore, who hadn't even noticed that she had fallen behind. She didn't want to think about this now. For the first time in days there was solid ground underneath her feet and she was free to go wherever she wanted, because the sea wouldn't stop her here and she just wanted to enjoy it. She stopped walking and focused on the people around her, who were shouting to catch attention from their customers, walked around between the booths and disappeared between the houses when they were done shopping.

This place looked like every other town at every other harbor she had seen so far and still it reminded her of the place where she had lost Graham somehow. Even though the town hadn't been as close to the sea as this place, but parted from it by a forest. But the people were the same. There were the same rich people throwing their money away with both hands, because they bought weather more than they needed or things they couldn't need at all. And there were the same poor people, trying to survive with the least, having to feed several children at home and renouncing their own food for their sake. No matter how much they would take home, it wouldn't be enough, because they didn't have enough money to buy what they would need to satisfy everyone in their families. The curse had to do a lot with this. It had worsened the gap between rich and poor even more, because the children born into a family didn't grow up anymore. They had to be taken care of and the more children the parents got, the less they could work to feed them until they lost everything. In the past the grown up kids could help their parents on the farm and it was possible for the mothers to help as well, but with more than two babies at home and no child older than four they couldn't afford to leave their children alone to take care of their animals or to work on the fields. And it would worsen the longer the curse would punish everyone in the Enchanted Forest. She had seen it before. Things had turned worse ever since she had been a child and it would continue like this.

"That can't be possible", a woman suddenly said and caught her attention. She seemed to be around fifty years old, her brown hair was already turning grey and her eyes were green and surrounded by small wrinkles. She was dressed in an old green dress with a brown apron bound around her waist and hanging in front of her skirt. A huge basket was hanging from her left arm filled with vegetables that were already wilted a little, so nobody with enough money would have bought them.

She stared at Emma for quite a while until Emma couldn't question anymore, if she was really looking at her. The people passed by avoiding them like a tree they didn't want to run into.

"Are you talking with me", Emma asked curious and surprised by that, because she would have never expected her to really focus on a stranger like her. She was certain, that she had never met her before.

The woman stepped back immediately and looked away from her, "I'm sorry. You just reminded me of somebody I know. You resemble her."

She walked up to her curious and thankful for the distraction, "it's fine. Who is that girl you're talking about?"

"A friend of mine", she answered sadly, before she snapped out of it and simply left her behind.

"Don't worry about her. She is always like that", a merchant suddenly said from beside her. She hadn't even realized how close she was to his fish-booth until now.

Emma turned around to him and made certain that her cloak was hiding her trousers, since there were people in the world, who didn't like to share information with somebody who acted against the common rules, "who is she?"

"Her name is Doris", the old man said encouraged by her interest. It was obvious he enjoyed to gossip, "she had been employed as maiden for the King's daughter for the past sixteen years. The queen had died the moment the princess had been born, so she had been like a mother for the young woman and some day she had started to behave like that, too."

"But if she's the princess' maiden, then what is she doing here? The castle is not even close to this place."

The man tried to appear to be sorry, but he completely failed because he enjoyed gossiping too much, "she was fired. It's said she didn't like the man they princess is supposed to marry. People say the princess was neither, but most think that was Doris' fault because of her influence on her."

Emma frowned, "who is that man?"

"We don't know yet", the man answered, "but we're looking forward to find out. We love our King and our princess and what makes them happy, makes us happy as well."

"Really?"

"Yes. They are good to us", the man pointed out without even thinking about his words and there was no doubt he actually believed, what he said.

"If they really are so good to you, then why don't you talk with the beggars and children, who are almost dying from hunger if they think the same", she asked angrily, "or Doris. I guess she didn't by fish from you, did she?"

She left him behind ignoring the shocked expression he was following her with and tried to find Doris in the crowed. She wanted to talk with her, wanted to hear the truth even though she couldn't understand why. Maybe she wasn't better than that man gossiping about her, but she was curious and somehow she felt involved in it, because Doris had been so shocked when she had mistaken her for the princess. She had been concerned about her honestly and it was a shame, that she was one of the poorest people in this town after everything she had done for the royal family.

Hook was forgotten. Doris had already been in that castle, so she had to know it better than anybody else. She certainly knew a way inside, without catching any attention. They wouldn't need to wait for a ball or something like that and she wouldn't need to dance with him, which was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment after everything that had happened the last time, he had tried to teach her.

Soon she lost her track and searched around directionless, but people in town seemed to know the elder woman, so it was easy to ask her way through the town. She didn't care about them gossiping about her as soon as she turned her back on them but simply ran until she reached the door of a very small house somewhere at the edge of town.

Emma stopped and took a deep breath to calm down and stop herself from simply opening the door by force, as excited as she was right now. She knocked politely and noticed that the door was damaged. There were little holes in it through which the wind easily piped through. If this story about her was true, then the King hadn't done anything for her despite all the years she had spent with taking care of his teenage daughter. It was a shame no matter how they had departed.

Emma heard steps inside approaching the door, before it was opened and Doris herself stood in front of her, "you?"

Emma didn't wait to be invited inside, but simply slipped through the small gab in the doorway, because she didn't want to be locked out by any chance, "yes. I need your help."

"What?"

Emma took a look around. Indeed the King had done nothing for this woman. She was quite poor. There were only old and damaged furniture and the fireplace was cold and wet as if it had rained inside. Even if it would be cold as hell, she wouldn't be able to make a fire at all.

"I need your help", Emma repeated counting on her anger to be reason enough for her to help her, "I need to get into the castle without being noticed."

Doris stared at her as if she didn't believe what she had just heard, as if she couldn't trust her ears and as if Emma was insane, "what?"

"Please."

"Even if I'd want to help you, it's impossible to sneak inside."

"No, it's not. You know the castle better than anyone else in this town if you help me it'll be possible", Emma said walking up to her.

Doris shut the door and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was thinking about something while she inspected Emma critically from head to toe, "what do you even want in there?"

"I'm not planning to hurt anybody in there, if it's that what you want to know."

"And what else do you want", she asked stubbornly. She wouldn't allow her to avoid an answer, just like a mother knowing her child was lying and insisting to hear the truth.

"Well", Emma hesitated to answer. Actually she didn't really know what Hook wanted from there herself and she didn't want to spill to much, "I need to find something, I'm looking for."

"So you want to steal from King Klaus, which means you're nothing but a thief."

She had heard those words many times before in her life. Before she had met Graham it had been true and maybe it was even now. But she didn't care about it. If she needed to be a thief once more then she would be one again. Everything to reach her goals would be fine, at least as long as she could life with it.

Instead of saying anything, she waited for her next reaction, that was bound to come, because she obviously was thinking everything through. She was too impatient, she realized as the door behind Doris was pushed open all of a sudden. Doris stumbled forward, because the door hit her back and Emma had to catch her or she would have fallen to the ground, pulling the basket with her shopping with her and maybe even hitting her head at the edge of the table, as Hook stormed into the room more than angry.

"Are you okay", Emma asked Doris politely as the pirate yelled, "where have you been? What are you even doing here?"

Emma helped the old lady to take a seat and sighed, "would you just stop yelling or do you want the entire town to hear you?"

Hook stepped further into the room and shut the door behind his back without saying a single word, but he kept starring at her, his arms crossed in front of his chest, waiting for an explanation. She already had an idea, why he was so furious. He must have noticed that she hadn't been there anymore somewhere on his way across the market and it must have upset him.

"Doris here has been working at the King's castle for sixteen years until she was fired and ended up in this hovel", she explained and helped the woman to sit down on a chair, before she turned to face the pirate captain again, "so now she wants to help us to sneak inside."

"I never said I'd help you", the woman behind her corrected her angrily.

"Yes", Emma rolled her eyes, "but you were about to say it."

She walked up to the fireplace and looked at her, so Doris could see Hook now, who didn't even try to hide his hook. Her eyes widened as she noticed it and her face turned pale, "you're Captain Hook."

Hook grinned and looked at Emma proud of how famous he was. His smile vanished the moment Doris almost shouted, "there is no way I'd ever help you to get inside the castle!"

Emma sighed, "great."

He simply shrugged, "it's not my fault. I'm always a perfect gentleman."

"Too bad the rumors about you never say anything about it."

"That doesn't change that I'm a gentleman."

"Yeah, I've just seen what a gentleman you are. You pushed her through the entire room."

"No, I didn't."

"Because I caught her."

"I wouldn't have needed to, if you wouldn't have just disappeared without saying anything."

"I didn't really have the time to, because I would have lost her, if I would have searched for you first."

"Are you two together", Doris asked confused following their strange exchange, "you sound just like an old couple."

They stared at her in surprise and stopped fighting. Had they really been that childish? Didn't they always argue like this? Doris had to be a fool if she believed there was more between them than a deal. They were partners but nothing more. But was it really like that? Hadn't they almost kissed a couple of times? And hadn't one of this almost kisses happened just recently? She didn't want to think about it. Fact was, there was nothing between them and they had better things to do than to worry about such nonsense right now. They needed to get into that bloody castle to get this stupid thing, she didn't even know what it was.

While Hook was still starring at her, Emma finally snapped out of it and walked up to her, "Look. I've already told you: we're not interested in hurting anyone. We just want to get something out of there. We only want to steal something."

Doris rolled her eyes, "and as I said, why should I help mere thieves?"

"Do I really look like a mere thief", Hook asked and glared at Emma as he realized that she had already revealed so much to her. She didn't put on that shoe. There hadn't been another to convince her to help them and they both knew it.

"Actually you look even worse", the elder lady countered, "and that convinces me even more that I can't trust you or even help you."

Hook opened his mouth to say something but Emma cut him off before he could worsen things, "then look at me. Do you really think I would sneak into a castle to kill people at random?"

"Who says you didn't have a pray you just don't tell me about", the smart Doris asked and glared at her, "by the way you don't seem to be much better than him."

Hook laughed but as he noticed Emma's glare he swallowed hard and covered it up by coughing. He couldn't fool her. He enjoyed the situation and he enjoyed even more that Doris had thrown them together in a pot.

Emma sighed and looked away from both of them. She knew this wasn't the right moment, but somehow she felt bad to hear those words. Had she really changed that much? In all her life she had never been compared to the people she had been hunting. She had never been compared to pirates or other criminals who would kill to get what they wanted. Sure, she hadn't been an innocent lamp, too, but she had never been considered to be worse than a thief. Had traveling with Hook and the others changed her that much? How had she changed? Or was this just a prejudice she had to deal with now, because she was teaming up with a pirate like him? What could Doris know about her after just a few sentences after all? Hadn't it been just earlier that the elder woman had mistaken her for the girl she had loved like her own daughter and taken care of for so many years? How could she have done that, if Emma had changed as much as she could be compared to pirates? This didn't make it any better, but it made her feel at ease for now.

"What do you even want to steal", Doris asked self-confident and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was toying with them. Everything, she had said about them so far, had been for nothing more but to make them feel insecure and question themselves. Hook obviously was immune to something like that and Emma had to question if he had a conscience at all. No, she knew the answer to that. He had a conscience. Maybe he had just already heard all those allusions and accusations for too many times before and didn't care about it anymore. He was a pirate after all so he had to have dealt with stuff like that before. But she wasn't like that and Doris had easily seen through her. Everything she had said had been nothing but a problem for only her. She had been insecure by hearing the comparisons between the pirates and her and she had been effected by the accuse of being a thief, not Hook. She definitely needed a thicker fur.

The suspicions about planning to murder somebody and acting ruthless once they would be in the castle had been said to criticize Hook directly. Doris really didn't trust him nor did she want to help him. All she could see was the man clouded by rumors and tales about him, who was sitting almost arrogantly in front of her now. Maybe she even noticed the determination in his eyes. But she didn't notice that it was directed at something and that he wouldn't be distracted by anything else. She didn't see, that he really had a conscience and that he definitely could be a gentleman. She didn't see the sadness and loss behind the mask he was wearing, because she couldn't see anything beyond it at all.

Hook obviously decided that it would be pointless to hide more of their goal and surprised even her as he revealed more about their prey, "something the King received from a witch a couple of years ago."

He pulled something out of his pocket of his coat and placed it in front of her on the desk, smoothing it down on its surface so all of them could easily see it. Emma leaned over Doris' shoulder to take a look at it, since she hadn't ever seen it herself. It was a picture of a blond woman in a ocean blue gown. She was sitting in front of a huge flag. She was a real beauty, but there was something in her eyes that looked suspiciously like sadness. But who was she? And what did the flag of this country have to do with her? Since when had Hook been hiding something from her again? Where had he gotten it? When? Why? Had somebody given it to him? How? Why hadn't she noticed anything? Why hadn't he told her?

"I received this just recently", he explained and looked at Emma very shortly as if his words were directed at her, because he could easily read her thoughts, "someone found it in witch Cora's chambers."

Emma frowned. Someone? Who was he talking about? He had found it himself and lied now, had he? She hadn't even noticed it. But he was a pirate after all so he had to know how to steal without being noticed and if she remembered correctly she had been quite distracted herself, when they had been in Cora's bedroom. And still, the picture was quite small just like the paper it was drawn on, so how could he have noticed it? They had been in such a hurry after all and they hadn't been looking for something to steal, but for a child. Or had it been Regina who had given it to him somehow? She had been there when they had escaped, hadn't she?

Doris' face turned pale once more and this time she really looked as if she was sick, "so that's how he did it."

"Who did what", Emma asked who had barely heard the woman's words. Why would Cora have helped a king in return for a picture like that? What could she have wanted with a picture?

Doris looked at her, but she didn't really seem to see her, "when I started to work at the castle sixteen years ago, King Klaus was a nice and caring person. He had lost his wife many years before, long before the curse had hit in the night his daughter had been born, but he had grieved her death as if it had happened just recently. Well, two years ago he suddenly changed. It was as if a part of him had been missing. The kindness started to vanish from his eyes little by little until nothing was left anymore. It was as if he was losing his mind and it mirrored in his actions. He started to focus on Lotte, his daughter, more and more each day that passed. It was strange. The way he looked at her send goose bumps down my spine to be honest. It was strange and it definitely felt out of place, so I tried to keep her away from him, by distracting her with sewing and stuff like that.

It worked until one day he suddenly stood in front of us and demanded that he wanted to marry his own daughter, because she was so much alike her mother, his dead wife. He was obsessed with her and nothing I or even his advisor said could change his mind. He wanted his daughter and soon it was obvious that he would do anything to get her. It was almost brutal to watch him and it became harder to protect her from him each day that passed. He refused every offer of marriage for her even before he read the letters and during the night I had to sleep in Lotte's room to protect her, because he didn't even hold back anymore and dared to sneak into her bedroom. That was half a year ago. Lotte was sick of it and she confronted him with her own thoughts. She told him, that she would never marry him and that his thoughts and needs were sick. She appealed to his conscience and tried to remind him of the man he had once been, but it was as if he was possessed by his ill-natured wish. Sometimes he even mistook her for her mother by that time. But nothing she said could change his mind and convince him to forget about his plan, so she came up with a request he would never be able to full fill. Lotte demanded a dowry for her life as his wife."

Emma felt sick just by listening to her story and judging Hook's expression it was the same with him, "what dowry?"

"She demanded three dresses of impossible fabric. They had to be made of the light of the sun, the moon and the stars. And on top of it she demanded a cloak made of the fur of every animal in his realm. Just if he'd get her those dresses, she would give up and marry him."

Emma frowned. No matter how she looked at it, it was impossible to get those clothes, wasn't it? It was impossible to interweave light with any fabric in the world at least without magic. Cora… But why would she have done that? What had he promised her in exchange? Or had she just wanted to spread evil in the world?

"Two months passed and Lotte fell for a prince she had accidentally met in the forest near the castle. He had come because he hadn't received an answer for his request and heard that nobody else had as well. He barely made it out of this realm alive and he never showed up again or even send a letter. Lotte was devastated.

Then suddenly her father had everything she had asked for. It was as if the clothes had fallen from the sky or something like that. He called her back on her promise and when I tried to help her run away, he fired me. He would have executed me, if it hadn't been for Lotte."

"How did you try to get out of the castle", Emma asked and exchanged a short glance with Hook, who was lost as deep in his thoughts as it was impossible to read in his eyes like she usually did. In fact it felt as if he didn't even listen to them anymore, but she couldn't imagine that he didn't care, not after she had seen his expression while Doris had told them this awful story.

"Nobody knew about our plan and we weren't noticed by anybody. To be honest, even if somebody would have noticed, they wouldn't have told him at least until we would have been out of the palace, but he noticed us long before that. It was as if he was in control of every door in the entire castle. He knew exactly where we were going and when and what we were doing. He was already waiting for us at the door we wanted to sneak through even though he could never have known which way we would take. Just like nobody knew about how and when the dresses had been made, nobody knew how he had suddenly known where to find us and what we had been up to. I asked the guards. King Klaus suddenly stood in front of his soldiers and told them to follow him."

"Why do they even help him", Emma asked curious and noticed that Hook looked up as well now. She had asked the right question to draw his attention back into the present as it appeared.

"They don't know about his… wish", Doris said darkly, "they believe I wanted to kidnap Lotte and since I was fired, nobody would listen to me anymore. You've heard what they call me in town, haven't you? The thick mother. Everyone believes I had forgotten that Lotte wasn't my daughter and they all believe that I was insane or the King wouldn't have treated me as badly."

"And why didn't the princess try to get away every since?"

"I received a letter from her just a few days after I had been locked up in a cell like a mere thief", Doris said angrily, "she wrote that she had tried to sneak out of her bedroom, but that she couldn't even step out of her door, because there had been something like an invisible door that had blocked her. It was the last thing I heard from her."

That definitely sounded like magic. But how was that possible? Cora hadn't been in the castle back then, had she? Nevertheless, the King had used magic somehow. It had to be an item he used. Maybe something she had cursed so he could use it. Was that the thing Hook wanted? Was this what they were aiming for? But what was it?

She looked at the pirate, who watched her carefully just as if he was expecting her to understand, what was going on without him telling her anything about it. In fact he stared at her as if he was disappointed that she would find out the truth now, after all those days in which he hadn't told her everything. Those days in which she had wondered if he didn't trust her anymore. Or was she reading too much into his expression because she had those assumptions about him? This man was confusing more and more each day she spent with him and she already wondered if she was still able to see through his lies properly.

"Well", Hook said very slowly and looked as if an idea was forming in his mind, "if you'd help us to get into the castle, we could try to help the princess to escape."

"Try", Doris asked forcefully and glared at him. She didn't fall for his trap but she definitely fell for his offer. She was interested as much was clear now.

"We could definitely get her out of there", Hook stated bravely or stupidly depending on the way you looked at it.

"And how are you planning to do that", she asked skeptically and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "I know the castle better than anybody else besides Lotte and we couldn't make it."

"Let's just say, I know a way and I definitely won't be stopped by some guards swinging their sticks", Hook pointed out and waited for her to make a decision.

"You'd do that? Risk your life for a girl you don't even know?"

"I'll have to risk it anyway if I want to get what I want from King Klaus", he stated darkly, "the princess will be just a little more afford I'll have to put into it."

Doris stared at him in surprise and for a moment she even was speechless. You could almost see her thoughts running wild while she thought everything through. It was obvious that she considered her options and they all knew what the outcome would be. She didn't have any other option than this, because nobody else would want to help her. After everything she had told them there wouldn't even be one person who would listen to her story without any prejudices.

"I always thought you were so cruel", she stated and confirmed Emma's initial assumption about the rumors about Hook she had heard.

"I'm a gentleman", Hook simply repeated and grinned.

"And how shall I know you won't just harm Lotte", Doris asked skeptically. She wouldn't trust him, no matter what he would say. She would always dig deeper to find out what he was really up to. Nevertheless, it wouldn't help her anything, because no matter what he would say, his actions could be completely different. They all knew that.

"I'll make sure he doesn't", Emma said and looked into her eyes, "can you trust me?"

"A thief?"

Hook glanced at Emma very shortly, but she didn't pay any attention to it. She had never told him for what she had gotten the bounty on her head nor had she ever admitted to really have a bounty to begin with. He had to be more than curious about this now. However, no matter what would happen now, she wouldn't change her attention from Doris to him nor would she say anything about this. And she would not deny any accusation of Doris about her being a thief. Instead of reacting to it, she focused on Doris and continued their eye-contact.

Doris needed a long moment before she said anything more. A long moment in which none of them said anything. Suddenly it was as silent in the little hut as they could hear the people outside on the street.

"Fine", the elder woman finally said slowly, "but it won't be easy. You'll need to be invited to the King's ball or you won't make it inside."

Emma snorted. So dancing again. And she had to wear a dress just like in their former plan. Destiny was working against her as it seemed. Just what had she done to deserve this? So in the end nothing had changed through following Doris. They had just gotten another ally. Not that she wasn't happy for the help, but she was highly disappointed about her destroyed hopes.

Doris looked at her in surprise. Her reaction had caught her off guard as it seemed. Emma tried to smile at her noticing just how pale she still was before she turned to the fireplace again. It really was wet and if this would continue Doris would be ill by the end of fall.

"Is something wrong", Doris asked slowly and carefully. Emma could almost imagine her to look questioningly at her and then at Hook.

"She is just nervous", Hook said and pulled out a chair from under the desk. As she heard the sound of the chair scratching across the wooden floor, Emma looked at him. She was angry. He said this as if it was nothing. She wasn't just nervous. She just didn't want to do this. She didn't want to be as close to him again.

He took a seat beside Doris and offered his flask to her, "she can't dance, you know? Or at least she believes so. Want something to drink?"

"I'm not nervous", Emma corrected him annoyed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, while Doris smelled at the flask, which he simply shoved into her hands.

"What's in there", the elder woman asked suspicious.

"Water."

"Rum", Emma replied honestly, "it's always rum. He is a pirate."

For this she earned an annoyed glare, but she simply ignored it.

Doris shoved it back at him.

"Fine, then not", Hook shrugged and took a huge sip from it, "I just wanted to help you. So what is your plan? How do we get inside the castle?"

Doris shrugged, while Emma took a seat, "well, to attend the ball you'll need an official invitation to it."

"I don't get it. Why can't we just break in", Emma said and leaned her head on her left hand, "why do we need that ball?"

"Ignore her", Hook demanded and gently placed his right hand on Doris' before he glared at Emma and said less polite, "she's just stubborn."

She didn't even need to wonder what this reaction meant. He was still trying to wind Doris around his finger through flirting or smearing honey around her mouth. His problem was, that she destroyed his efforts with everything she said or did. She was boycotting him and his intensions. What he didn't want to accept yet was, that she had her reasons. Doris wasn't as simple minded as he wanted her to be. She would never fall for this. She was too suspicious to do so and besides that she liked him even lass than Emma.

Just as if she wanted to proof Emma's thoughts, Doris ignored him and pulled her hand out from under his, "because there is no way to sneak in there unnoticed. I don't know how but King Klaus somehow always knows if someone enters his castle, just like he knows if somebody tries to escape from it. Didn't you listen to my story? We tried and we failed and we still don't know why. I've tried to sneak inside again very often, but no matter what I did to get to Lotte and no matter how hard she tried to escape we were always caught."

Hook's expression became serious, "because of what Cora gave to him."

Emma frowned. She had already asked this question many times before and he had always avoided to answer her, but still she couldn't resist to ask again, "would you finally say what she gave to him?"

"Magical sand", he said giving up after a moment of thinking in which Doris had looked from one to the other in confusion. It must have been the fact that he even kept information from Emma, even though they were partners. She could understand her confusion, she felt the same about it.

"It gives every information to you", he continued, "information like how to get dresses of impossible fabric."

Doris stared at him, "the dresses."

"And the information of anybody breaking in or out of a castle", he added and focused on Emma, who he expected to ask for what they would need it for the most. But she didn't ask. She simply stared at him in surprise.

"How do you know about this", Doris asked instead.

He ignored her question and continued, "or information about how to leave a place you usually can't leave from without any problems."

So that was why he wanted that powder. He wanted to use it to find a way to get back to the Enchanted Forest from wherever he wanted to travel with her in order to search for the prince.

"How do you know that", Doris insisted now and frowned, because she didn't understand the last thing he had said.

"I was with Cora when she created it", he simply said, "and I heard a lot of rumors about a castle nobody could enter and a powder King Klaus had spread at the borders of his realm. Now that we're talking about your princess, I found a picture of somebody almost looking like Emma when we visited her the last time. That must have been your Lotte."

"A picture of Lotte", Doris stared at him with her mouth opened. While Emma did her best to stop herself from rolling her eyes or even snorting. She knew that this was just half the truth. The person who had told him about it had been Regina and she had been the one who had noticed the picture and had made the connection, too. But it was obvious why he wouldn't mention the Evil Queen's name if he wanted to make a deal with a poor and honest woman like Doris.

"Yes. Cora must have received it in exchange for her help. She liked to keep trophies from her victims and through helping King Klaus her target must have been Lotte."

"What an awful person", Doris said shocked, while she immediately thought of everything bad that had happened because of this sand."

"So how do we attend that ball and when is it? You know, we don't have an invitation", Hook continued as if he didn't notice her reaction at all. Maybe he did and just didn't care. But it was possible that he didn't even realize the pain Doris felt at the moment at all, too.

Doris snapped out of her dark thoughts and almost smiled, "that's easy. The ball is in four days from tonight. There are always some high personalities. Guests who attend the ball, even though they're not living in this realm, you know?"

"So?"

"Since he hasn't left his castle for the past years and hasn't cared for anything else but his daughter and his ill intentions with her, he doesn't know what everyone is looking like. It should be easy", she explained, without really explaining anything.

Emma frowned, "but aren't those guests staying at the castle? Or at least close to it?"

"Officially, yes", Doris said and looked at her, "but it's an open secret that the richer single men enjoy to stay in the town instead. Everyone around here knows about that. Otherwise, King Klaus would never allow a good looking young man to stay at the castle. I even heard that since I left, he hadn't any guests at all. I guess, because he doesn't want anybody to notice his intentions yet.

His guests are rude, dishonorable and bluntly awful men, who want to play around with the strumpets or to push poor young women into disgrace. He might still be hesitating to reveal his plans to them completely, but I highly doubt those men would blame him or even stop him."

Hook grinned and leaned back in his chair, "I see." He focused on Emma and his smile grew wider, "that should be easy."

Before Emma could say anything, Doris continued, "but that's not all. It's not enough to have an invitation. You must look like you were invited to the ball."

She sized Emma's cloak critically, "you'll need a dress."

"I was already looking for one at the harbor", Hook informed them and shrugged.

The elder woman stared at him, "at the harbor? What makes you believe you could find something good enough there?"

He stared at her, "but from where-"

"I'll get you something", Doris interrupted him and studied his appearance, "and I'll find something for you, too. The point is you'll have to act as if you actually belonged there. You will have to be cleaned and you'll need to dance."

"I know how to behave there", Hook claimed slowly, focusing at the surface of the table, "I just need to remember it and I can dance, that shouldn't be the problem."

His eyes wandered to Emma and he closed his mouth without saying anything more. There was no need to anyway. Doris understood him perfectly. She looked at Emma and sighed, "that will be a lot of work."

Emma bit her bottom lip to stop herself from screaming. This was even worse than what she had expected in the first place. Fine, then she couldn't dance and she had a hard time learning it, but Hook had himself had said that she wasn't as bad as she believed to be. Besides that it couldn't be that hard to learn how to behave like a woman of higher standard, could it? She didn't imagine things, she knew that she still had a lot to learn, but they treated her as if she was the last yokel and that wasn't fair.

* * *

The rest of the day, they spend with collecting information about when and where which of the royal guests would come to town. They tried to find out, where those men would stay and where they had been seen the most in the past, when they had been here before. Hook seemed to enjoy this the most. He flirted with the strumpets in town and with the waitresses and daughters of innkeepers. He didn't even spare their wives just to get the information they needed. Of course that was what he called it, but Emma didn't really buy it. He seemed to enjoy it a little too much. Apart from that, he was completely in his element.

Emma ignored him and focused on people's gossiping to get information. There was nothing better than gossip to find out what you needed to know in a town filled with people like this.

By the end of the day she delivered the information, they had collected, to Doris, who could tell them which one of King Klaus' male guests would be best for Hook to switch places with. They needed to look at least a little alike or everyone would notice right away that Hook was just a double. On top of that they needed to find a man who wasn't married or about to marry. They needed somebody who could easily bring an unfamiliar girl with him without anybody wondering about it, or people would question Emma's presence. That was something they definitely couldn't need, because after everything Doris kept telling her during their practices, she definitely would catch attention with her bad behavior.

Doris' lessons had started immediately. She taught her how to drop a curtsey, how to refuse an offer to dance in a proper way, how to hold a glass of wine if you wanted to drink something and how to use a fork in a proper way. She even corrected her way of talking, walking and sitting until Emma was as confused as she didn't even know how she usually did it anymore. Doris described her the men and women you should at least have heard of and told her everything she actually had to know about Lord Sinclairs connections. Lord Sinclair was the role Hook would portrait so it was important to know where they were coming from, about what kind of jokes he would usually laugh and who he liked or disliked. They couldn't allow themselves to talk with somebody he would never even look at or their cover would be blown right away.

The third day Hook joined them and learned what he had to know. But it was obvious that he would need her help, since she simply knew more than he would be able to learn in just two days.

"Tonight we knock out that Lord Sinclair when he enters the tavern "Pantaleon"", Hook said and shoved his plate aside. Doris had been so kind to invite them for dinner after they had spent the entire day at her place again.

"I know that tavern", Doris said and stopped in her movement cleaning the table. She balanced the plates in one hand while she carried a the water can in the other, "I'll talk to the owner. I'm certain he'll employ her for tonight. He's always missing helping hands. You can carry jugs, can't you?"

And again she treated her as if she couldn't even lift a finger. It was annoying, but she wouldn't pick a fight with her now. Emma released her anger through rolling her eyes, "yes. Wouldn't be the first time."

Hook frowned, "you've worked in a tavern before?"

"Around six years ago", she shrugged, "it's been a while and I don't miss it."

Hook opened his mouth to ask something again, but Doris was faster, "that's not so important now. Rather we should think about where we get a dress for you for tonight. You can't pretend to be a waitress without a dress. Nobody would ever buy that."

Emma opened her mouth to say that she already had expected something like this, but Hook was faster, "I've already got one. It's on board the Jolly Roger."

Doris smiled, "is it from the old lady selling her daughter's stuff at the harbor?"

"Aye", Hook grinned.

"Fine. Your cloths for tomorrow will come tomorrow morning", Doris walked away from the desk to finally clean the dishes, "make sure you'll be here tomorrow. Emma needs to try it on and to bath and you guys need to practice dancing."

"And Emma is sitting right here, so would you finally stop talking like I wasn't even here", Emma growled and stood up. She was sick of all this. She didn't want to be someone she wasn't. When they had made this stupid plan, she would have never expected, that sneaking at a ball like this would afford so much preparation. She had to put so much afford into this and she didn't even really know what for. They kept criticizing and correcting her all the time until she didn't even know what she wanted to do end especially not how she should do it. But that they were always acting like she was a little kid or a doll was the worst. She didn't like to be patronized. She had never needed anybody to tell her what to do or how to do it and even if she would have needed somebody for it, there wouldn't have been anybody to do it.

She left the house without saying anything more and walked down the streets in annoyance. She needed some fresh air after all those hours of learning and concentrating on nothing else but what she needed to know for the ball. And Doris was a strict teacher. Sure she hadn't hurt Emma - she wouldn't even have had the chance to, if she would have wanted to - but she hadn't allowed even a small mistake at all either. Maybe all that wouldn't have been as much of a problem, if Hook wouldn't have turned out to be the perfect gentleman, student and lord all of a sudden. Where on earth had he learned all this? And why? He was a pirate, bloody hell.

Emma spent some hours walking around at the harbor and entering the forest nearby, before she finally came back to the Jolly Roger at dawn. It was strange but that ship had become something like a home somehow and that was a lot for someone who hadn't had anything even close to that for eight years. It was unbelievable that Graham should already be dead for eight years now. Eight years in which she hadn't succeeded in finding his killer with even one step.

As she entered the Jolly Roger Hook had crowded his men around him to give orders and parting the crew. There were the men who would stay on board and those who would join them to the tavern to pretend to be celebrating instead of hiding on board. Hook couldn't enter a tavern without his men or everybody would be suspicious and gossiping would start as soon as they would notice his hook.

Emma easily made her way past them down to the captain's quarter she still shared with Hook without being noticed by anybody. She barely registered how Base was trying to convince his captain to leave hi on board. She didn't care. For now she didn't want to think about his problems and worries on top of hers. No, she just wanted to be herself again for once. Doris had confused her as much those past days that she wasn't really feeling better again even after all the time she had spend on her own today.

"What's wrong", Nova asked all of a sudden. She had flown inside through the door behind Emma as she had entered the room. Emma hadn't even noticed her.

"Nothing."

"That's not true", Nova stated with self-confidence and managed to fly between her and the window, "I can see it at the tip of your nose. Did Hook do something?"

Emma sighed, "no. I'm just confused."

"About what?"

About the possibility of being Snow White's daughter. And if she was about being a sister, a savior and a princess. About being a thief, a bounty hunter, a pirate (what she had become somehow through traveling with pirates and calling their ship her home) a student, a decoy, an actress portraying a lord's sister, what she would pretend to be by tomorrow and a waitress for the past three days and this evening. And now since Nova was back she even was a person in need. She had so many labels that she was about to forget who she really was. It was confusing and frustrating. It made her question herself and almost convinced her, that it wasn't strange that they had patronized her earlier. But she didn't want to tell Nova anything about this. She wanted to handle all this herself and she definitely couldn't need a fairy telling her how wrong all this was or how dangerous it would turn out to be for her. She certainly didn't want to discuss her possible identity with her now. She didn't even really believe that she was the missing princess.

The word "princess" brought up something in her mind. She finally looked at Nova who had always been so loyal and nice to her and who always showed up if she needed help even without her asking for it. Nova who was a fairy and deserved someone to take care of and who was worth her efforts.

"I need to ask you for something", Emma said slowly and waited for the fairies reaction. She wasn't used to ask for help. The past years had hardened her somehow.

"What is it", Nova asked still concerned about her condition. There wasn't even a trace of suspicion in her voice or her eyes. She didn't even ask for something in return, what felt great.

"There is someone who'll need your help."

The fairy frowned and there it was, suspicion, "what are you going to do?" There was no doubt that she believed Emma would do something so the person would end up in need.

Emma almost smiled, "it's not what you think."

"Emma, what are you talking about", Nova landed on the frame of one of the windows that build the big window at the back of the Jolly Roger and looked at her as if she was scared for her now.

"There is someone Hook and I will kidnap from her own father in order to save her", Emma explained despite the fairy's reactions to what she was saying, "she won't be able to stay here in this realm and she doesn't know anybody outside her home. She can't reveal her true identity to anybody once she is out of the castle or her father might find her and bring her back and then everything will have been for nothing."

"What's wrong? Why does she need to get away from her father so badly", Nova asked concerned now. It was obvious she didn't believe her to harm Lotte anymore, which was good.

"She will tell you", Emma said hearing steps approaching the door behind her, "I need a way to carry along three expensive dresses like they were nothing but a coin. It'll be everything she will be able to carry along."

"Dresses?"

"It's everything she has. And if she sells them she'll get by for a while."

Nova frowned, "why don't we use a coin?"

"Too expensive. It could be stolen or she could end up spending it, if she confuses it for a real one."

Nova gave it a thought and became invisible the moment the door was opened. Emma could see the door in the reflection of the window. Hook stepped inside a dress hanging from his left arm. If she wasn't mistaken he seemed to be a little surprised, "here you are. I've already been wondering if you'd disappeared forever."

Emma didn't turn around to him but stared at the spot Nova had been standing at just seconds before, hoping she would come up with something she could use to help Lotte. After discovering her confusion about who she was herself and who she wanted or needed to be, she could slightly imagine how this Lotte had to feel about marrying her own father and being presented as his future wife to everyone by tomorrow night. She felt sorry for her and for Doris, who was tying so hard to help her even though it might cost her life, if they would succeed and safe the princess. Doris would be the first person King Klaus would think about, once his daughter would be gone after all.

"Just what is wrong with you", Hook asked and she could hear it in his voice just how upset he was, "are you scared?"

"No."

"Oh, she talks", he joked and came closer. She could hear the fabrid of the dress he had brought along moving behind her, before he finally stopped right behind her. As he talked again, she could feel his breath in her bare neck since her hair were bound in a ponytail. His anger was gone, "are you alright?"

"Sure", Emma answered ignoring the chill that ran down her spine, when she felt his breath in her neck and noticed the intensity of his voice, "why shouldn't I be?"

"Doris is quite strict and she tends to criticize you constantly", his words were silent and scared her a little. They weren't just very honest but implied that he exactly knew what she was thinking, too. He hadn't even seen her face ever since she had come back to the Jolly Roger and yet he knew what was going on with her. Just how did he do this? And why did he care as much about her as he could do this? Could reaching his goals be encouragement enough to emphasize with her like that? Really?

"I'm fine", she said after a long moment of silent, "I just needed a break to catch some air. That's all."

He sighed and stepped back again, "I see."

There was silence between them in which he stepped back and she could hear the fabric of the dress moving again. Emma checked the place at the window. Nova let a small quail egg appear. She shook her head and it vanished again. This egg had been closer to what she wanted, but it was too fragile and could still be stolen if somebody would be hungry. Lotte could even be accused of poaching wherever it was she'd go to.

"You can chose: waitress or strumpet", Hook suddenly said.

"W-what", she asked and turned on her heels more than confused now. He was holding up the dress in front of her. It's skirt was brown, the shirt and the apron were white and dirty. It didn't even look like anything a strumpet would wear.

Hook noticed her confusion and smiled holding back a laugh, "if you chose strumpet we could change it to suit that role. Let's say… we could crumple it more and pull the neckline lower. We could reap it at some spots. Of course I'd assist you."

"There is no need for that", she stated ignoring his offer, "I'll be fine with being a waitress."

"Good", he said with an almost disappointed expression and handed it over to her, "too bad. I'm sure it would have been fun."

"Buddy, if I'd show up as an strumpet I wouldn't be able to do, what I need to do according to our plan", she said jokingly, "because I'd be surrounded by too many men."

Hook chuckled as he stepped closer still holding on to one of the dress' sleeves like it was a rope connecting them both, while looking deeply and intensive in her eyes, "Love, for that you don't even need to look like a strumpet."

Emma stared at him for a second. She wasn't certain if this really was a compliment. She put on a smile and pulled the sleeve out of his grip easily, "let's hope so or I won't be successful tonight. At least not with this."

Hook frowned, "what does that mean?"

She looked at the dress and smiled, "let's say I'm just glad Doris get's the dress for tomorrow."

He grinned and his eyes wandered to the window behind her. He frowned, "what is that? Is that a nut?"

Emma turned on her heels and stared at the window. For a moment she had completely forgotten about Nova and what she had asked her for. Hook had distracted her too much. Before he could reach it, Emma took it with a grin towards the window, "I found it in the forest earlier and forgot about it."

"A nut", Hook asked skeptically and stared at her in confusion, "this is not even the time for nuts."

"Whatever", Emma shoved him to the door, "I need to get ready. So…bye."

"You're strange, Swan", he said as he stopped right outside the room in front of the door, just realizing, that she had thrown him out of his own cabin.

Emma didn't care. She grabbed the door and closed it carefully and slowly before she took a deep breath. She took a look around, but Nova didn't show up again. She must have left with Hook.

"You know, if you need help, you just need to tell me", he chuckled through the closed door before she heard his steps leading away from her.

Emma walked up to the dress and sighed. Now she'd need to put it on. HO, how much she wished that she could just burn it.

* * *

A jug was placed on the counter in front of her and she snapped out of her memories. The bartender beside her already stared at her angrily. He had caught her dreaming while there was so much work to do. This wasn't good. He could decide to fire her and they couldn't need that. She needed to concentrate. Emma grabbed it and placed it on her trail to join the other three she had to deliver to guest, who were sitting at a table close to them. Hopefully this jerk would show up and end this stupid role play soon.


	13. Facing the opponent

12\. Facing the opponent

The door to the tavern opened and another bunch of men entered the room. Their hair was wet from the rain outside and so were their clothes. Their boots were muddy and created a track on the wooden floor of the tavern as they made their way through the crowd. However, they could not be the Lord and his friends. Their boots were worn off and very old and their clothes were looking just the same. Besides that their faces were burned by the sun, what must have happened while working outside and their posture wasn't healthy. They had a slightly stooped posture, which suggested fieldwork. Besides all that their age was wrong. Some of them were too old and the rest seemed to be too young to fit in Lord Sinclair's shoes.

Emma cleaned another load of jugs, while Melrose the bartender filled them continuously with rum. He couldn't do it fast enough as fast as the guests requested for it. Emma could only hope that the Lord would show up soon, before she would destroy everything and really hit one of those drunkards, who didn't know where to keep their hands. If they had bad luck, a strumpet had already caught Lord Sinclair outside the tavern, before they had even noticed it. She glanced at a corner of the room and met Hook's gaze, who was sitting there. He seemed to be just as nervous as she was.

After they had left the Jolly Roger to come here, he hadn't said a single word to her. To even care he had seemed to be too lost in his thoughts about where they were going or what they were up to. But now it was different and she was relieved to see that. It was good to know, that she wasn't the only one worrying about their plan and how it might work out. Moreover, it was good to know that Base was with them, no matter what he had wished for. It made her feel a little more secure what was something she wouldn't ever have expected just a week ago. Who would have thought that things could change so easily and fast?

Hook and Base, who were sitting opposite from each other now, exchanged a short glance, before they drank from their jugs and sighed. It was almost funny to watch it, since they did it in synchronization. She would have loved to sit there with them now instead of standing behind this bar and pretending to be a waitress, while some of the drunkards seemed to believe she was just another strumpet or that they could allow themselves to do everything they wanted.

The door opened again and she didn't even need to look at Hook once more to know that those could be the men they were waiting for. One of them might be Lord Sinclair and the others could be his most loyal knights protecting him and maybe even celebrating with him.

Emma held out another jug to Melrose, so he could fill it, and watched the men taking a seat at a table in the middle of the room. It was as free as possible in an as crowded tavern as this. It really was possible that their target was with them. Hook seemed to be quite focused on them, too.

"Who are the men, who just entered the tavern", Emma asked the bartender, who was supposed to know everything that was going on and to know everyone entering his little pub. Doris had told them, that he would recognize Sinclair if he'd show up.

Melrose needed a moment to understand what she was talking about, because he had been too caught up in his work the entire time to pay any attention to the door at all. However, when he noticed the three men who were taking off their cloaks and took a seat, he became nervous, "fast. Take a trail and ask for their orders. "

"Who are they", she repeated and got out a trail to do as he had told her to. Left alone the fact that he had ordered her to do this, revealed that those men were important, because usually most of the men in this tavern ordered their rum directly at the bar instead of asking a waitress. At least if they were sitting as close to it as those men.

"Lord Sinclair", he answered as he almost shoved her into their direction to speed up her movements. So now it would start.

Emma avoided Melrose's hands easily and made her way through the crowded room, which was not as easy as she would have believed it to be. The strumpets seemed to be just everywhere and so were the men following them and laughing with them. Some of the men even confused her for one, which was annoying. One of them went even so far, that she had to press his reflex point at his wrist, so he finally let go of her.

She glanced at the corner where Hook and Base were sitting and stopped in front of the table the lord was sitting at. She did not need to see Hook's face to know that he had not just seen this, but that he was upset about it on top.

Remembering Base's remark about her fake smile, she did her best to make it look real this time. She felt that she managed quite well, "how can I help you?"

All three of them looked up to her and smiled as they noticed her neckline. One of them was a little smaller than the others were. He had dark hair and brown eyes, which were almost sinking into her neckline. The others were bigger than and stronger than he was and they had blond hair and grey eyes, but they seemed to be a little shyer than he was.

He was the one speaking up, so she assumed he had to be the lord, "what would you want to do to help us?"

Emma chuckled even though she didn't feel like it at all and decided to say something she had heard a very nice strumpet say once when she had been flirting with Graham, who had refused her, "depends on what you need, Lover boy."

"How about you get us something to drink and then we chat about how you can make me happy", he answered and glanced at the other two, who seemed to be siblings, "I'm certain we'll find something you can do."

Emma swallowed hard and resisted the urge to kick his ass even though she would have loved to do it badly. With just two sentences in addition to a leer, he had already treated her like a strumpet.

She grinned anyway, "what about your friends?"

He looked at them shortly, "the drinks already will be enough for my knights for now. But I'm certain you can help them later on, too."

Wow, she would not have believed it to be possible to make things worse, but with just one sentence he had made it.

"I'll get you something", Emma said rolling a strand of her blond hair around her finger, "how big do you need your jugs?"

He raised an eyebrow and something like hunger appeared in his eyes. It was obvious he had swallowed the bait. It had almost been too easily to look through him, "huge, sweetheart, very huge."

Emma giggled as she went back to the bar the same way she had approached them before. She looked back at them a view times to signal her interest, before she placed her trail on the bar in front of Melrose. He noticed her annoyed expression as he placed the jugs and a bottle on the trail without even asking for their order. He seemed to know it out of experience, "don't talk too much with Lord Sinclair, Emma. He can be quite…rude."

"What do you mean with that?"

"There are times he doesn't accept a no for a no", he said and helped her to pick up the trail, "just be careful. You're a nice lass and Doris would kill me, if something happened to you."

A chill went down her spine as she put on a smile and went back to the Lord's Table, balancing the trail on her hands. Therefore, he was one of those men who thought they could do what they wanted with women. That was good to know. Doris had not mentioned any of it during the past days. But maybe she had not known it herself, since at court not everyone always knew everything about the others, like she had told her.

She just placed her trail on their table and grabbed the bottle, as somebody suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to pull her back on his lap. She freed herself but the bottle slipped out of her hand. She reached for it and caught it in the air with just one hand, before she accidentally met Hook's eyes and noticed his anger in them. She let the bottle slip through her fingers and it shattered on the ground.

"Oh, no", she moaned and wanted to kneel down to collect the shards, when she was stopped by Lords Sinclair, who grabbed her hands. He got to his feet and looked deeply into her eyes, "don't. Are you hurt my dear?"

"I'm fine, thank you. But I'm afraid my boss won't be fine with it."

"Leave him to me."

She looked at him as if he was her knight in shining armor, "you would do that for me?"

"Well", he said slowly and his expression changed. She would have loved to hit him for his next words, "depends on what you would do for me."

She felt sick, "w-what about your men?"

"I thought, you could show me the town, while they take care of your boss", he said. It was obvious what he really meant by showing him the town.

Emma looked away as if she was blushing, "but it's raining, Sir."

He leaned down to her and chuckled, "I'm sure we won't be freezing."

She stared up to him for a second, in which his men walked up to the bar and engaged Melrose in a conversation. Sinclair simply grabbed her hand and pulled her along to the door. He seemed to be quite in hurry to do what he wanted with her. It had not taken her even half an hour to get under his skin. Nevertheless, like this he did not notice, that Emma slightly nodded into Hook's direction and that Base stood up the moment he opened the door. He would follow them, just as they had planned it. Everything was working according to plan and yet Hook still seemed to be upset about something. It was strange.

"You're not really experienced with these things, are you?"

"Well, today is my first time working in a tavern", she answered innocently even though she knew what he was referring to. She just did not want to talk about this any longer. She just wanted to do, what she had come here for and get rid of him as fast as possible.

The rain stopped, but the street was still wet and it was easy to slip across the stones beneath her feet, as she stumbled after him into the next lane. It was as if he had planned all this even before he had met her. Maybe this was just his usual stitch and she fit perfectly into it, because of the woman she had pretended to be. She had pretended to be innocently enough, that he believed he could get easy on her.

He shoved her into a corner, pressed her against a wall and started to kiss her neck as if he wanted to own every bit of it. He was as caught up in his lust, that he did not even notice, how she stopped him from touching her anywhere besides her hips and her neck, while searching through his pockets. She found money, a key that might belong to a room he had taken somewhere in town and a letter with a red seal on it she recognized from something, Doris had shown her. The seal definitely was King Klaus' one. It was broken and seemed to be quite official and important. When she had shoved it into her dress to the rest she had found, she stole a ring from his finger, without him even noticing it at all.

"Sorry, Lord", she finally said and pushed him back, as he seemed to grow more arms from second to second. She was sick of this masquerade, had already hated it even before it had started and wanted to end it now. She definitely did not want him to slurp her neck for even one more second.

Sinclair stared at her in confusion and shock.

"I'm not interested anymore", she explained and as expected he did not like to hear it. He reached for her to force himself on her. Emma avoided his grip by grabbing his arm and shoved him against the wall, that she had been pressed against just a moment ago, using his strength for her own benefit. He hit his head at the wall and pulled her closer angrily, revealing that he was stronger than she had expected him to be, too.

He managed to grip her neck and squeezed to kill her or to make her unconscious as she tried to push up his nose and missed it only because the dress had slipped a little from her right shoulder and caught up her arm. He pushed her against the opposite wall while she struggled for air and tried to free her arm. With her other hand she was stubbornly holding on to his wrist, so she could breathe at all. Her vision blurred as Base showed up behind him, grabbing his neck and pulling him back. Sinclair let go of her and she almost fell to her knees, sucking the air deeply and hungrily into her lungs. She needed a moment to calm down again, in which Base managed to tighten his grip on Sinclair, so he was caught up between his arms.

Emma walked up to them. She knew that it was nothing but a cliché but he definitely deserved it. She kicked him between his legs and knocked him out through hitting him with her fist, after she had finally freed her right arm.

She stumbled back as Base let him fall to the ground like trash and looked at her worried, "are you alright?"

She needed a moment to answer him. She had already experienced moments like this, in which it had been close and she almost would have lost. But never had she felt helpless, because she had never been stopped by herself. Sure, this time it had been her dress, which had gotten in her way, because the sleeve had restricted her freedom of movement immensely, but in those moments she needed to rely even on stuff like that.

Her hands were shaking as she answered him, "I'm fine."

"What happened? Why didn't you just knock him out", Base asked concerned as he noticed how shocked she was. However, he was so kind not to walk up to her. He left her space to breathe and do what she wanted to do and that was exactly what she needed now.

"The dress…I just hate this thing", she stated angrily. She swallowed, "where is Hook?"

"Taking care of the knights", Base answered and pulled up the dirty lord to carry him along. Sinclair and his men had to disappear for at least twenty-nine hours or their plan would not work out the way they needed it to.

"I'll check his pockets later on", Base said and started to walk.

"You don't need to", Emma informed him, and "I already took care of that."

He stopped and stared at her, "when?"

"While he was busy", she answered as if it was obvious.

He frowned, "where did you learn that?"

"Don't tell me you're still surprised", she almost smiled remembering how she had stolen his own knife from his boot two days ago. He had not even noticed it until she had given it back to him. It had been a good practice for today even though he had hated it.

He seemed to remember this little incident, too. He sighed, "oh that. But where did you learn it?"

"Maybe I'll tell you later. But I need to get back to the tavern now."

He stopped again, "but that's not part of the plan. Hook said - "

"Well, now it is", she stated and patted his free shoulder, "just go back to the Jolly Roger and take care of this bastard. I'll deal with Hook."

She left him alone as soon as they reached the street, ignoring his objections. She stopped in front of the tavern's door, feeling his glance in her back. It was the right thing to do. Besides that she just felt, she had to stay true to her word and help Melrose to the very end of this night, so Doris wouldn't get in trouble with him, it was very important not to draw any attention by anyone or their plan would be blown up like a bomb of Hook's canons. She sighed. If she was honest then this was not the only reason for it. She needed to go inside there or she might never be able to enter such a tavern and face bastards like Sinclair ever again. She needed to proof to herself, that she could protect herself and did not need somebody to hide in a corner and show up to help and protect her. Of course, it was ridiculous, but it was something she needed to do for herself. She simply felt that she needed it to digest what had just happened to her.

Melrose had already gotten nervous as she came back. He seemed to be relieved as he noticed that she was fine, "where is the Lord?"

"Well, there was a man outside picking a fight with him all of a sudden", Emma lied, while she thought that he had gotten what he had deserved, "I think it was one of those men sitting in that corner over there. I ran away. I was too scared."

It would be better if people would believe the pirates had attacked Sinclair than accusing Doris for being involved in it somehow. There was no connection between her and Hook, so it should be fine.

For a long moment in which neither of them said anything, Emma got nervous that he might have noticed that her reaction did not really match to her words. Too late, she had noticed that she was way too relaxed and satisfied with the situation, to actually have gotten away from an attack not to mention from one by pirates. However, Melrose seemed to play right into her hands, "weren't they pirates?"

She almost grinned but stopped herself in time to put on a serious expression. She pretended to give it a thought, before she decided to leave space for speculation, "I don't know. I didn't really pay attention to them."

The bartender looked at her for a moment. Then he shook his head as if he wanted to forget something and said, "well, his knights just left as well. I guess he's got enough help. I'm just glad you're alright."

"I am", she lied again and noticed that she liked this old man. She could understand that Doris had chosen him to help them, even though he didn't know anything about his little role in their game. Although she was not naïve enough to believe his concern was just about her health and happiness, but about his work at this evening, too, she felt comforted and important as a person. It was a good feeling to know that somebody would care about her even though his connection to her was anything but close. It felt good especially after what had happened out on the street just earlier and maybe it even was more important, because he actually was a stranger.

She grabbed another bunch of jugs and delivered them to the men sitting at tables in the middle of the room. She avoided arms reaching for her - at first she even winced back out of an for her unexplainable reflex - , men suddenly standing in her way, just like strumpets jumping in front of her, while laughing and avoiding the men following them. In addition to that, she ignored what the men were yelling at her. For a long moment everything seemed to remind her of the lord and his bad behavior towards her, but after an hour it became easier and the people's voices around her seemed to grow louder, because they actually reached her more than before in her trance.

Now that Sinclair was gone and their plan had worked out, she did not pay any attention to the door and the people streaming in and out anymore. She just wanted to do her work, so when they would leave this place again and the princess would escape, nobody would think of Doris when they would find Lord Sinclair bound in his rented room like a package. She wanted to protect the old woman at least as long and as much as she could, even if it meant she had to stay the entire night. Even if it meant she had to wear the stupid dress that she hated even more now. And even if she would need to avoid greedy and drunk men and if that meant she would have to ignore dirty jokes about her. Maybe being caught up in work like this was good for her, too. She already had noticed that it had become easier to be in this crowded room with carefree and lively people of which did not even seem to have any manners at all. Before Sinclair hat decided that no woman in the world could actually refuse him, this had been normal for her, too. It had not been a problem for her to watch those people und sit in a room like this. It had not been a problem to serve drinks from time to time and when she had delivered an especially dangerous or hard-to-catch wanted person she had even celebrated with them. True she had always had to remind them, who she was and what she was like, but it had been fun.

Melrose placed new jugs on her trail and sent her through the entire room, but she did not care. She just hoped the people here would not stay the whole night or the next day would be hell.

"Emma", the bartender finally said, "take this to the corner over there. There just arrived someone again and he passed by here to order. He seems to be quite cold. Give him something to warm up."

She sighed and ignored the strange feeling of being reminded of Sinclair again. Emma knew that he definitely had not meant it the same way in which the Lord would have used it as an innuendo but referred to the rum, the costumer wanted to drink. She balanced the trail through the room and the closer she came to the stranger, the more familiar he seemed to be. She could not see his face, since the shadows of the corner covered it up, but his clothes already gave him away.

She took a deep breath and placed the trail on his desk a little too strong, "rum?"

She had not expected him to show up here. When she had left Base some hours ago, she had believed he would wait on board the Jolly Roger for her. She had believed she could brace herself before she would need to face him, before he would scold her and shout at her. Well, at least he could not shout here.

Hook looked up to her and anger was shining through his eyes. His hair was wet and a single strand of it reached into his forehead, a drop of water hanging from it. Therefore, it had started to rain again.

He nodded without saying anything and kept starring her down. His ocean blue eyes looked as if the entire ocean had frozen over, as she placed a jug on the desk in front of him. Maybe she had placed it a little too hard or she had appeared to be a little too stubborn, she did not know. Anyhow, the rum spilled over and he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. His grip was very strong and Emma's elbow almost hit the surface of the desk, as he forced her to lean down to him, "what on earth are you thinking?"

She did not answer but simply raised an eyebrow and stared him down. He perfectly understood her nonverbal information and loosened his grip, "sit down."

"I have work to do and we don't want anybody to be suspicious of us, do we?"

Now it was for him to glare at her. He let go of her hand and waited until she had turned around to leave him behind like this, before he grabbed her arm and pulled her back a little violently. She slipped and fell right into his lap exactly as he had obviously planned her to, since he was grinning with so much grim satisfaction in his eyes.

"What are you still doing here", he growled with as much anger in his voice as it was almost shaking of it, "this was not part of the plan."

"Well now it is", she growled back through gritted teeth that hopefully looked just like a wide smile for anyone who might notice them. She tried to stand up again, but he stopped her by placing his left arm in front of her so his hook was lying on the surface of the desk. She could easily force him to let her go, by using her special technique, but she didn't want to take the risk, that he would make some noise, which would draw everyone's attention in here. It was not his usual reaction to it, but since he wanted her to leave the tavern immediately, it was very well possible that he would scream or grunt on purpose.

"This stops now", he stated as if his word was the rule, "you come back to the Jolly Roger with me now."

Emma looked at him coldly, "this is not your ship and I'm definitely not one of your mates. So stop making orders like you actually had to command anybody here."

He looked at her as if he was offended and it took him a moment to swallow his anger and his surprise. He took a deep breath, before he asked in a very controlled manner, "have you forgotten our plan? Or don't you care about it anymore, Ms. Swan."

"I do care", she sighed angrily and decided to ignore the way he had called her just now, even though it was just an expression of his reaction to her words earlier, "I just don't want to risk anything or anyone through this. Or who do think they'll visit first, when they realize that I was linked to ball and Sinclair? Doris will have to face problems, if I don't stay here now."

"And you think staying here will change anything about it", he asked skeptically.

"Of course. Just so you know somebody appears to be suspicious if he disappears suddenly especially if something like tonight happens, not to mention that the hurt person was a supposed nobleman."

Hook sighed, "I'm a pirate, Love. I have no time to care about something like that. However, our plan on the other hand depends on you being fully awake tomorrow. So come on now." As he noticed her disappointed glance, he swallowed hard, "look, Doris perfectly knew how dangerous this could be when she decided to help us and you can't stay here for the entire night, if you want to be ready tomorrow."

"I can", she said feeling as stubborn as a child and refused to look at him again. She tried to stand up once more but Hook still did not let her, "would you just let me go?"

He gave it a thought and nodded into Melrose's direction, "no. Because, if you don't work, the buddy over there might decide to fire you." He reached for his jug and had to notice that he could not pick it up with his hook. His other hand could not reach it because Emma was in the way. She had never seen him as confused as this. His hook had never been a problem for him as long as she knew him, so this conversation had to trouble him more, than she was admitting it. It was entertaining for her, so she grinned, "well, if you'd just let me go, you could easily drink your rum."

He glared at her angrily until he noticed something, frowned and pulled back her hair so he could see her neck. His eyes darkened even more.

"What?"

"Can you explain to me, how you are planning to hide that", he asked his voice barely under control.

"Hide what?"

"That mark at your neck", he growled and pulled air into his lunges loudly.

"Oh that", Emma said and reached for the spot as if she could actually feel it on her skin, "sorry, but I could hardly know he would try to throttle me, could I?"

He frowned and pulled away her hand to check her neck just as if he had not noticed the bruise at all, "you're right. I didn't notice that before." He studied it for a second, "but I don't think it will be that bad."

Of course, he thought so, since it had happened while she had been acting according to their plan, she thought sarcastically, before she frowned, "wait, what have you been talking about?"

He snorted, "the kiss mark he left on your neck."

She stared at him in surprise. That explained why it had been so easy to keep him at bay and to steal from him at the same time. She had not even noticed it, or she would have stopped him.

Emma shrugged, "I didn't even notice anything."

Hook, who had been staring her down, as if he could melt the mark off her neck with just enough willpower and anger, raised an eyebrow, "seriously? You really want me to believe that someone sucks your neck and you don't even notice?"

"I was concentrating on emptying his pockets", she defended herself and tried to stand up once more, but still he would not hold her back. There was only one way to get off his lap again but she did not want to knock him out in the middle of the tavern, where someone might notice something nor did she want to give up yet.

He shook his head in disbelieve, "certainly."

"Seriously", she stated angrily, because he still would not give in and let her go and she could not do anything about it. She took his jug and took a deep sip.

"Hey, that's my rum", he said surprised and obviously thirsty.

Emma simply shrugged, "not my fault you can't have it."

He almost grinned, "how did you knock him out?"

"Why do you care?"

Hook forced himself to keep his grin in place even though it was obvious that he was more than serious again now, "because I want to know what happened out there."

"And you think this is the right place to discuss this", she focused on the bar hoping that Melrose would notice and call out for her. Of course, he did not.

"At least I can't shout at you here."

"Like I would care about it", Emma said, placed her left elbow on his right shoulder and pushed up her chin while finally looking at him again. If she had to stay here she could at least make it herself comfortable.

"What happened", he asked after a moment of silence intensely and looked right into her eyes. It was awkward but it made the difference between him and the rest of the men in here. While they all only seemed to care for her neckline and what it was revealing of her breasts, he was focusing on her eyes more than anything else because he indeed respected her for who she was. Sure, he had taken a look at them as well, but now that they were arguing and she had stated her point, he treated her like a common partner and not like somebody, whom he did not have any respect for.

Emma sighed, deciding that it should be rewarded a little, "he was too enthusiastic. He did not even notice that I was searching through his pockets the entire time, just as if I did not notice that he placed a kiss mark on my neck. Suddenly he seemed to grow arms so I knocked him out without Base."

"And how did he end up to throttle you", he asked silently and looked at her neck while his fingers almost absentmindedly caressed the spot in her neck, where his hands had left bruises.

"Let's say, I was playing around with him a little too much", Emma shrugged to cover how awkward his action made her feel, and reached for the jug to take another sip, before she noticed the intense stare he focused on her neck with, "we could pretend, that you made it."

"What", he snapped out of some thoughts she could hardly imagine.

"Tomorrow", she whispered to help him back on track, "we could pretend that you made the kiss mark and since you'll take his place tomorrow I'm sure nobody will question it."

"Why that", he growled. He was upset about something she could not understand.

"Because, Lord Sinclair is a jackass, who doesn't accept a "no" for a "no" and likes to mark his victims."

"Is he?"

Emma raised an eyebrow, "haven't you seen my neck correctly? What are you thinking about the entire time?"

"That's not what I mean", he admitted, "what do you mean by not accepting a "no"?"

"There is a reason he tried to throttle me, Hook", she sighed as she noticed his expression, "why are you upset?"

For a short moment, he simply looked at her as if he was surprised or maybe impressed or maybe even both. But within seconds that expression vanished and he simply stared into her eyes as if he wanted to hypnotize her, "you really expect me to believe that you didn't notice anything?"

"How could I possible not notice somebody trying to kill me?"

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know that very well."

Before she could stop herself, the words were out, as she realized what he was still referring to, "one might think you're jealous."

His expression changed to honest surprise. It was obvious that he had not intended that impression to come to her mind at all. She grinned and decided to let him off her hook, since he might decide to let her have her own way without holding her back like that or forcing her to hurt him, to free herself in front of everyone, "of course I'm telling you the truth. What reason could I possibly have to lie to you?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

She sighed, "if I knew it, I wouldn't need to ask you, would I?"

He did not answer but he was still upset. It was obvious that something was going on with him, but she could not tell what. It was as if he had locked himself up so she would not understand anything or realize something he was still making up with himself.

Emma looked through the tavern and noticed that Melrose was searching for her, "I need to go, now. Let me go."

He snapped out of his thoughts, "no."

"And why not? I thought we had discussed everything."

Hook sighed, "Emma, have you ever seen a bartender or a waitress up in the early morning, when everybody else who was in a tavern was already working again?"

She frowned, "I don't get it, what are you up to?"

He pulled her closer without even realizing it, "if you really want to stay here until this tavern closes, than you shouldn't exhaust yourself too much, or in the morning you won't be able to do anything."

"That's ridicules. If I don't exhaust myself I don't need to stay here until the very end."

He grinned, "then we can go, sounds fine with me."

"No."

Hook sighed, "give me that bloody jug."

She stared at him for a second, before she took it to drink the rest herself.

"Devil."

She grinned as she placed the emptied jug on the table again, "let me go and I'll get you a new one."

Hook tried to stare her down, but ended up frowning at her. He licked his lips and stared at the spot where Sinclair had left the kiss mark. His eyes turned darker, the frown vanished and his glance became intense. For some reason she felt uneasy, but maybe that was exactly what he wanted to achieve through this. Her mind was running wild, searching for solutions for this strange atmosphere between them and before she knew what she was doing, her mouth was talking on its own, "why do you even care so much about that kiss mark? We both know that it cannot be out of jealousy. So what is the reason?"

He looked at her with a completely blank expression as if she had gotten him off guard. Then he pulled away the rest of her hair so her neck was bared entirely in front of him. This was not, what she had wanted to achieve at all. The tips of his fingers caressed her skin slightly, but it was already enough to make her even more nervous and to increase the strange sensation that seemed to set her whole body on fire. She had felt something like that before, but she did not want to feel it now, with Hook, in this tavern, in their current situation.

He avoided her, "I just don't like men forcing themselves on a poor woman."

"Poor?"

He chuckled and leaned back again, "so you want me to pretend, that I did that?"

She hesitated for a moment. If she was honest, then she did not want to do that anymore. Actually, she even believed it to be a very bad idea. But instead of showing that, because it could reveal something she did not even want to admit to herself, she lied, "why not?"

He looked at the kiss mark again and his eyes got a dreamy touch, "because a kiss mark is supposed to be something intense. You concentrate on that one spot like it was the most important thing and treat it, like you actually want to own not just the single spot but the entire person it belongs to."

Her mouth went dry and she looked away. How on earth had they ended up talking about something like that now? She had not intended to do that. Had he? Why? However, for some reason it suddenly did not feel as awkward anymore as it would have felt yesterday or some hours ago. It was just a conversation between too adults, "I know that."

"And you still want me to pretend, that I made it", he repeated his question and there was sin in his eyes. It was obvious that he imagined doing it for real. Emma became nervous and tried to push that thought away as far as possible. She needed to stay logic and cool and not to jump into his little act and be a part of it, or their entire plan and their work together would be screwed.

"I don't see a problem with that."

Hook grinned amused and the intensity vanished from his eyes, "pretending to be your brother could be one, don't you think?"

She stared at him for a long moment in which he came to his own conclusions, "have you forgotten, that I'm supposed to be your brother tomorrow?"

Emma was surprised to notice that she really had forgotten about it. Sinclair was not married and he was not engaged. He was all alone and even though the king might not mind about incest or anything that might look like it, since he was planning one himself, there would be enough people who would start to wonder if he had a sister at all if they'd draw too much attention.

Hook's finger were caressing the spot at her neck as if they had a life of their own and it was the most ordinary thing to do for him. He looked at the bar, where Melrose had finally noticed her and pulled her further back until she slipped from his lap until just her legs remained where she had been sitting a second ago.

Emma grabbed his shoulder and the edge of the table in surprise and stared at him, requesting an answer for this.

Hook grinned, "the bartender has found you. So what do we do about this mark now?"

She tried to look to see about that herself, but Hook kept her in place, what had to look like they were kissing or even making out. She pulled her hair out of the way and froze. She stared at it for a short moment and shrugged, "maybe I could cover it with my hair."

"If you dance they won't stay in place."

"Then I just can't dance."

"You will dance."

She sighed annoyed, "what about the dress?"

"What is with it?"

"Maybe we could cover it with that."

He shook his head, "it won't."

Emma frowned, "you've already seen it?"

"You would have, too, if you wouldn't have simply disappeared today", he almost growled, because it was still angering him.

"I don't care."

"I know", Hook stated and sighed, "or you wouldn't have anyone allowed to make a kiss mark at a spot where everyone can see it."

She hit his shoulder, "how often do I need to repeat myself until you believe me that I didn't allow him anything?"

"At least one more time", he said seriously and noticed with satisfaction that she had to grab his should again, if she did not want to fall on her back.

"Anyway why is it always me who has to wear dresses", she asked rhetorically and did not expect an answer. It was more out of anger, because she did not like the entire plan.

Hook really laughed for the first time this evening, "I'm afraid it wouldn't suit me at all."

Emma grinned, "you never know unless you try."

He grinned as his eyes wandered to her lips and remained there, while his forehead turned into a confused frown. Emma was certain she could feel it physically. Her lips turned hot and started to prickle, her mouth went dry once more and her brain suddenly decided to stop working as if it had turned numb under his gaze.

She felt parted into to versions of herself. One did not want to think of consequences and problems that might appear if she would give in the strange feeling, which was caused by him. That part of her questioned her decisions and wanted to feel and touch and kiss. It did not understand what kind of problems a simple kiss could cause. And the other part of her scolded her for that and forced her to look anywhere else but not at his lips, like she wanted to so badly. It reminded her of her plans and their teamwork that might be affected by a simple kiss and warned her that with this man it might not end with just a kiss, but with her getting burned like a fish on a stick. It reminded her of the risk she would take to lose her opportunity finally to find out about Blackbeard's role in Graham's death or even to get revenge for it.

She refused to even look at Hook's lips, knowing that if she wouldn't there would be nothing and nobody to stop them from doing something really stupid they might regret both in the end.

Suddenly Hook drew back and took his already emptied jug to look inside just as if he wanted a proof that she had really drank up everything. Nevertheless, it was obvious that he simply needed something to do to cover up his own reaction and thoughts.

Emma's brain started to work again and she sat up. She cleared her throat, "well, maybe Doris knows a solution."

"Doris is a woman of old school", Hook said slowly still avoiding her eyes, "she might accept to oversee a woman wearing trousers instead of a skirt but she won't accept a kiss mark like that."

"But it's not like there had been anything more than that."

"Do you really think, she will believe that", he asked skeptically and glanced at her for a very short second, "it's more likely that she will jump to conclusions."

Emma sighed, "maybe she'll understand the circumstances. We're doing all this for her, too, after all."

Hook bit his inner lip and kept staring at the desk beside her as he slowly said, "I'm not so sure about that. Maybe we could really cover up the whole thing with your hair…"

"Seems to be the only option", Emma agreed and noticed with surprise that she felt sad, as she pulled back her legs from his lap so she was sitting beside him completely now, "you could make sure it won't show through."

Something had changed in that short moment just now. Something between them seemed to be off now and she did not like it at all. She realized that she was disappointed, because it had been so easy for him, to let her go now. She was sad, because he did not hold her back again, as he had done it the entire time ever since she had brought him that stupid jug with rum. She was disappointed, because it had been so easy for him, to simply draw back and get back to business as if nothing had happened. Moreover, she was angry, because she had not been able to do that and because she was the only one who actually seemed to care. Or was it even worse and she had just imagined something and he had noticed what she had been thinking about and secretly refused her? She would not have as much of a problem with the refusal as with her own actions in that case.

Hook stood up and held out his hand to her, "let's go back."

She hesitated before she took his hand and allowed him to pull her up, "what about make-up?"

"I don't think you'll get anything like that here", he sighed, "the town is too small and most of the people are too poor for that."

They walked up to the door making it look like he was pulling her along until they were outside. She remembered her plans to stay until the work would be done and tried to free her hand, but Hook did not let go of her. Instead, he tightened his grip on her and caressed the back of her hand absentmindedly. He was lost in his thoughts as he pulled her down the wet streets and back to the harbor. Just when they reached the Jolly Roger he let go of her and walked up to Base to hear what they had done with the Lord and his knights.

Emma watched them for a moment in which she exchanged a very short glance with Hook's mate, that told her, that they had noticed the betrayer again, and realized that she obviously was not the only one of them, who was troubled with what had almost happened between them before. She realized that Hook was angry but to confuse her even more he seemed to be upset with himself and not with her. She just did not understand why.

She decided to focus on the current problem now instead of worrying about stuff she would never find out, if she would not ask Hook himself. Therefore, the betrayer had shown up again, which meant that he had to know about Lord Sinclair and where they were if he had not even discovered their plan. Great.

Emma sighed and walked back to the captain's quarter ignoring the puzzled glance of Hook, who had noticed their exchanged glances. He frowned but stayed on deck with Base to discuss everything that had happened during the time they had spent in the tavern, before he followed her down. When he reached their cabin, she was already sleeping or at least pretending to pretty well.

* * *

The next morning Emma got up very early, even though it had taken her a very long time to fall asleep, because she had been worrying about the betrayer and their plan so much, while she had tried very hard to push everything that was even slightly connected to her strange relationship with Hook in the back of her mind. She slowly put on her boots and slipped into her cloak, before she left the captain behind, who was still sleeping in his hammock and entered the deck.

She wanted to talk with Base since she had not had the opportunity the night before and it was obvious he had something to tell her. She could just hope he would be on deck even though he had not had the night shift. If not she would not be able to talk with him before they would set their plan into motion.

When she stepped out of the hatch, he was already waiting for her near the plank, which lead to the docks. He was standing far away enough from the hatch and Hook's quarter that nobody would hear their conversation unnoticed.

"Morning", Emma said in lack of anything else she could say, as she walked up to him. The morning air was still chilly and the sun had barely started her way up to the sky. The first gulls were flying above them and sang their strange songs.

Base stared at her for a second before he started to talk, "when I came back on deck last night, Blake ran up to me. I had asked him to watch the deck and report everyone who sneaks up here and what they do. Someone sneaked up here again and he only noticed because he caught him receiving another dove. But before he could reach him or discover who he is, Blake was noticed and the man simply disappeared."

Emma frowned, "he disappeared?"

Base sighed, "it's just as I told you. The newer pirates just don't know the Jolly Roger as good as me or any other pirate who has been sailing with Hook for longer than a year."

"How much could he know?"

"After everything Hook revealed to us? As much as I do."

Emma snorted and placed her hand in her neck to ease the sudden tenseness in it, "great."

She sighed and looked at him intensely and remembered something, "make sure to stay here tonight. Maybe we should start to take watches under deck, too. He'll definitely need to leave his cabin."

Base shook his head, "down there it is impossible to notice something strange. They keep running around there and talk like a crazy bunch of chickens."

"Please", she sighed helpless.

He stared at her for a very long moment before he sighed, "fine. I'll think about it, if Hook won't take me along again." He swallowed, "I'm not really a fan of balls."

Emma chuckled and left the ship, "don't worry, you're not really somebody you would expect to visit one, not even as a knight."

His chuckle followed her down the plank, "let's hope Hook realizes that, too."

* * *

Doris spent the entire morning asking her questions about the information she had to know about Lord Sinclair, judging her manners and movements and the way she was talking and even corrected the way she was holding her cutlery, when they had lunch.

After that, they talked about Lotte and her past with together with her, before they discussed everything that had happened the night before. Emma did not tell her about the kiss mark hoping she would not notice it. Doris had once again revealed how strict she was about things like that, when she had mentioned the strumpets in the tavern the night before, so she really might not accept a simple kiss mark. Melrose obviously had not talked with her about Emma's behavior or her sudden disappearance, which was a relieve, since he could have informed the old woman, that her friend was not an angel as she pretended to be.

"You know what? We need to take care of your appearance if you really want to shine on that ball tonight", Doris suddenly said as if she was her fairy godmother and stood up.

"Actually we should make certain that nobody notices me or our plan might not turn out the way we want it to", Emma said carefully and watched her filling a huge wooden bathtub with water, that didn't really seem to be hot, "I must not stand out, Doris, don't forget that."

Doris walked up to her and lead her into the small part of the hut, which she had parted from the rest with a curtain, she had hung up, "that's too bad. You'll look so nice, when I'm done with you."

Emma swallowed unable to decide if it was a promise or threat. She focused on the bathtub that looked like the bottom of a barrel. She could not even see the water's surface anymore, because whatever Doris had put inside created as much foam that it overtopped the edge of the tub. The entire room smelled of soap and if she was not mistaken even flowers. However, the smell was as descent as it was not unpleasant at all. As she turned around to Doris again, she had already closed the curtain, to cover her from curious people looking through the old and damaged windows or Hook, who might show up here every minute.

Emma frowned at the foam while she opened up her shirt and kicked off her boots, "but isn't that too expensive?"

Doris smiled, "water doesn't cost anything, I needed the fire anyway to cook our meal, the barrel is just lent in exchange for my perfect apple pie and I've very good connections to the staff at the castle, so they send me the soap and everything else you'll need tonight. Lotte helped me."

"I thought you didn't have left any friends there and that it was very hard for you to even send a letter to the princess", Emma asked a little surprised and slipped out of her trousers.

"Sometimes you just need a little luck", she grinned, "actually the one who gave me that barrel created the contact."

"For your apple pie?"

Doris smiled proudly, "yes. You must know it is the best one all across King Klaus' kingdom."

She stepped slowly into the tub and was surprised to notice how warm the water really was, while Doris took care of her hair, "aren't you worried?"

"Of course. I just hope Lotte will be alright when she escapes the castle and that she'll find her Armond."

Emma frowned while Doris started to brush her hair. It was strange. Nobody had ever done that for her, so now she felt that she had missed out something throughout her entire life. She couldn't place a finger on it. It was just a feeling, that didn't belong to Doris but to somebody else. Emma pushed it back in a corner of her mind, where she wouldn't need to confront it yet, "but what about yourself? What will happen to you?"

"What shall happen", Doris asked like she did not care at all or like she had not even thought about it. She seemed to be very naïve, but Emma did not buy it.

"Well, you've tried to save Lotte before and you are the closest person to her aren't you?"

"Yes", she took a bucket and poured water over her head to get the soap out of her hair, which she had massaged into it before.

Emma shoved the water out of her eyes, "if she disappears you'll be the first person they'll be thinking of. You'll be in great danger, Doris."

Doris sighed and her movements slowed down as she was drying her hair with a cloth, "that's okay."

Emma frowned, "what? You might die."

She sped up her movements again, "Lotte is like a daughter for me and the most important thing for a loving mother is the happiness and safety of her daughter. And in that case it doesn't matter if the connection between them is real or just felt."

Emma swallowed hard and remembered Snow White standing in that old and dirty nursery. She remembered her strange and sad expression as she had talked about her missing daughter. A chill ran down her spine and suddenly it was hard to breathe.

"I don't care what will happen to me, Emma", Doris continued, "I'll know that I've done the best for my daughter. Besides that, I'm old. I have nothing to lose except for her. Through that curse I've lived longer than I'd usually had and I've been allowed to spend this time with the person I cared most about, the person I love most. Well, at least until recently. So why shouldn't I do everything for her?"

"But she isn't your real daughter, is she", Emma asked slowly and as silent as she almost believed she had not even heard anything for a long moment.

"Yes, but I raised her like she was and soon it felt like that, too. I loved her. In the night, I stood up to comfort her, when she was crying. I fed her, when she was hungry and I supported her, when she wasn't certain about what do to and how to react to something, that she felt hard to deal with", she explained, "isn't that what a mother does? At least I always believed so."

Emma swallowed hard, "what if a mother saw her daughter just for some hours and gave her up after that? What if she stopped searching for her and started anew with another child?"

She had no idea why she suddenly asked all that. She had not planned to just as she had not realized that it was troubling her in the first place. But now, that it was out, she found herself holding her breath and waiting for her answer. At the same time, she knew that it would be meaningless, since Doris was not her mother and all she could say would just be about her and couldn't cover another person's feelings and thoughts like Emma wanted it to.

"If she really loved her daughter, then she'll always be thinking of her, always feeling the loss and she will always miss her", Doris said with deep conviction, "she'll always love her and the happiest moment in her life will be the moment she finally gets her back no matter to who she grew up to be."

Emma swallowed hard. Even though she wanted to believe her words, she still doubted their truth. How you love somebody for his or her pure existence without considering what he or she turned out to be like? That was impossible for her. She could not even imagine it.

The door to the cottage opened and Hook stepped inside, "here I am. What now?" He stopped and stared at the curtain, "what is going here?"

"Stop", Doris ordered and looked at him from behind the curtain. It was soaked with water from her wet hand, where she was touching it, "don't come closer but stay behind just like a gentleman. There is something left of lunch at the fireplace. Eat it until we are finished with bathing."

Hook froze. Emma could see it through the curtain. Daylight shone through the windows behind him, so she could see his features building a dark contrast to it. The curtain was thin enough that she could at least see as much. Even though she could not see his expression, she could perfectly notice that he had stopped to move at all. In addition, despite that she knew, he could not see anything unlike her, she sank deeper into the water and hurried to scrub the dirt off her skin. She wanted to get out of this bathtub as fast as possible, because the strange happenings between them of the night before were still too present in her thoughts and her heart.

Hook finally started to move again and walked up to the fireplace to get him something to eat, before he took a seat with his back to the curtain, if she was not mistaken.

Doris looked at Emma and reached for her hand to take care of her fingernails, "where have you been so long? We've been waiting for you."

"I'm a pirate, Doris", he stumbled over her name, "there are things I need to do." The first day they had been together like this, he had called her "Granny" and she had scolded him for that for three hours while teaching Emma. Every time he had called her that name again, it had gotten worse until Emma had even had to stop her from attacking him with a pan.

"And what was that", Doris stopped in the middle of her sentence and stared at Emma's neck, "what on earth have you two been doing?"

Hook turned in his seat and looked in their direction and Emma covered the spot at her neck with the hand Doris had been holding just a second ago, "that's nothing."

"Nothing? Have you ever heard of staying pure and innocent?"

"I might be a lot, but definitely not innocent, Doris."

The old woman got to her feet and rushed around the curtain to Hook to yell at him, "I thought you were a gentleman! How can you do something like that? A real gentleman doesn't do something like that to a young woman."

Emma came out of the water and put on her clothes again, while she continued to scold him for her kiss mark. She surrounded the curtain barefooted and interrupted her, "that wasn't Hook."

Doris froze and stared at her, "but I thought…"

"It was Lord Sinclair."

"The Lord", her eyes widened again and her voice climbed up about at least three notes.

"I just wanted to get his invitation, so I distracted him. Before I knew what he was doing, it was already too late."

"What?"

"I was too distracted, because I was searching through his pockets. That's why I didn't notice", Emma added remembering her conversation with Hook about this matter the night before and avoided his eyes.

"That can't be true!"

"May I remind you of the fact that I did that for you and Lotte, too? That invitation was very important and you should consider that, before you send me to hell."

Doris stared at her as if she could not believe her ears before she sighed heavily and looked down at Hook, who was still sitting at the table his back turned on Emma, so she could not see his expression. Doris eyes were filled with skepticism and what ever he did, it worked to soften her glare until she even patted the back of his head like a real grandmother, "you're dish is almost empty. Go and get you some more."

Then she looked at Emma and was angry again, "and you should at least wear a dress if you can't take care of yourself properly." She walked past her without caring for her, reached into a corner besides her bed and pulled out a dress, she had been hiding there, "hurry. Put it on. You need to learn dancing in it and time is running out."

* * *

Doris searched through her belongings while Emma tried to get used to the rack of herringbone that would push up her skirt later on. It was heavy and cut into her hips even though she was still wearing her pants underneath it. Doris had changed her mind and decided that it would be easier for them to teach her, if they would be able to see her legs. Besides that, she had not wanted the dress to get dirty even a little bit.

She stood at a window and stared outside without seeing anything, since sitting seemed to be impossible with this farthingale, while she waited for Hook to get ready. He had disappeared behind the curtain to bath or at least wash himself, when Doris had been done with her.

She had reacted just as expected. Now Hook was the great and friendly gentleman, the good boy, who was always reliable and had the best manners, while Emma was the black sheep, who did not know how to behave properly and to act according to the rules of society. That wouldn't have been a problem for her, if she wouldn't have turned to like Doris. She was like a grandmother and had started to treat both of them like their grandchildren or something like that, even though she didn't want to admit it or be called a grandmother at all. Emma would not admit it, but she had really enjoyed the moment in the bathtub earlier and that everything had turned out like this now, was making her sad. She had disappointed her and the result of it was weighing heavily.

Nova appeared outside the window and waved at her until she finally reacted. Emma looked over her shoulder to make sure nobody would notice her before she walked up to the door to let her inside.

"What are you doing", Nova asked suddenly from beside her, "you don't need to open that door. There are so many wholes in this house that it was easy to get in."

Emma glanced over her shoulder again, "what are you doing here?"

"I was searching for you", Nova whispered back, "I wanted to know if you were fine with that nut."

"I am", Emma said watching the curtain carefully, since she didn't want Doris or worse Hook to suddenly show up or overhear something. The elder woman's voice covered up their conversation perfectly as she talked to the pirate and scolded Emma.

The fairy smiled happily at her before she noticed what Emma was wearing and frowned as she listened to the conversation in the back of the small room, "what is going on here and who is that over there?"

"It's a part of a dress I need to wear", Emma explained and ignored Nova's smile, "and the woman talking with Hook is Doris and she could need your help."

Nova raised an eyebrow, "is she the girl with the nut?"

"No, she is the one who'll be suffering if Lotte gets away because she'll be accused to be responsible for it."

Nova became invincible and disappeared.

"Nova?"

Nothing.

Emma looked around but she could not find her. She was gone.

"What are you searching for", Hook suddenly asked stepping out from behind the curtain and looking better than she had ever seen him before. He was wearing black trousers and a white shirt, which covered his chest completely. His hair was brushed back leaving just a single strand of it hanging into his forehead. It looked as if it was still wet. Despite Doris argument with him, he hadn't shaved but only cut his beard into form a little. The only thing being out of place was his hook now.

"Nothing", Emma lied, "I just thought I had thrown down something."

"I see", he walked up to her, "Base will take our things back to the Jolly Roger later."

"Good", Emma said and noticed Nova suddenly showing up behind his left shoulder and holding up a thumb. Before she could stop herself, she released a relieved breath. Therefore, she would take care of Doris.

Hook frowned and looked over his left shoulder just when Nova switched sides and Doris walked up to them looking at something in her hands, so she did not notice the fairy.

"I've found something we could use to cover that thing at your neck, child", she said still sounding a little upset, before she held up an incredibly awful necklace, "first I thought this would do. But you are lucky; I've found some rouge to cover it up. I had no idea I had any left especially not that much." She frowned at the small powder tin.

"You can thank me later", Nova giggled unexpectedly all of a sudden. She had to be invincible again. She landed on her shoulder and placed a hand on her neck where the kiss mark was to keep herself in balance, as Emma could feel it, "Doris talks to herself from time to time and she didn't stop bickering about you and that kiss mark. So I decided to lend a helping hand and safe you from that nightmare of a necklace."

Emma grinned hoping the fairy would understand her silent gratitude, since she could not answer her with all those people in front of her, who should not notice her connection to the fairy. Especially Hook was not supposed to know.

Hook frowned and stared at her for a long moment, before he walked up to her, took her hand and lead her through the door at the back of the cottage into a small yard, that belonged to all the houses surrounding it, without saying a word.

He seemed to be upset, even though Emma could not tell about what. She hadn't done anything, had she? Moreover, even if, Hook wasn't the kind of person to keep it to himself, if something was off. He usually told her straight on, if she had done something to anger him. So what was wrong with him? He was acting strange ever since yesterday.

The yard was empty; nobody was there, so they were all alone.

"What are you doing", Emma asked suspicious as she tried her best to avoid boxes and buckets, that were getting in the way of her farthingale. She failed and Doris, who had tried to follow them and was just as confused as Emma was, stayed back to clean up the mess she had created accidentally. She knelt down, picked up peas and lenses, and sorted them into different containers.

"Practice to dance with you", Hook answered with an annoyed voice and finally turned around to her again, "it's already darkening. Time is running out, Swan. We have to hurry."

He waited for her reaction for almost five seconds before he placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled her closer into a dancing position like a week earlier on board the Jolly Roger. He started to move in a rhythm only he could hear, since there was no music and Emma stumbled after him. Even he seemed to be surprised of this, after she had satisfied his claims so well back then. However, Doris had been right. With this farthingale, it was more difficult to dance.

Emma stumbled after him, stepped repeatedly on his feet and lost balance because the thing was swinging back and forth. That Hook kept as much distance between them as he could so she reached his shoulder with only her hand instead of her arm made it even more difficult. Hadn't he told her, that it was important to feel the partner's movements to make it easier to learn? Why did he keep her at distance so much then? Was it because their almost kiss last night? Why did she think about it so often? Was she the only one who did?

Emma looked at their feet for two reasons. The first reason was that she didn't want to meet his glance while she was thinking such stupid things and the second was that she didn't want to step on his feet and looking down to them was the only way to achieve that with as much distance between them as now.

"Hook, what are you doing", Doris suddenly said from the door. She was still kneeling down to clean up the mess, she had created, "pull her closer. Like that, she can't know what you're doing. I thought you can dance."

Emma stopped and looked at her in surprise, as she noticed Nova floating behind her and easing the pain she seemed to have in her back. The fairy smiled at her as she vanished into nothing again as if they shared a secret joke.

Suddenly she stumbled forward as Hook pulled her closer strongly. She almost crashed into him.

"Would you just pay more attention", he scolded her angrily talking into her right ear.

She tried to ignore him and change the subject. It would not be good, if they would fight now, "what are you going to do about your hook?"

"That's not of your concern."

She secretly cursed, "why are you so upset?"

He did not answer for a long moment in which he led her through the yard, before he obviously changed his mind, "who have you been talking to at the door earlier?"

Emma frowned even though she was quite surprised that he had noticed her conversation with Nova, "what are you talking about?"

He shoved her back to create as much space between them as he could look into her eyes, "earlier, when you were waiting for me. You were talking with someone. I saw someone next to you through the curtain, Swan. It can't have been Doris, since she was with me, so who was it?"

Emma's mouth went dry. That damn curtain. She had not thought of it or she would have warned Nova to become visible. She kept a poker face, "there was nobody."

Hook suddenly stopped and she crashed into him in surprise, "stop lying, Swan."

"How could I lie about that", she asked in defense, "you were there, weren't you? Did you really see someone next to me? I've looked through that curtain, too and you can only see features through it, so maybe you simply changed something for a person."

"And who were you talking with", he asked still skeptically. He did not believe her at all, "there was someone just like yesterday in my cabin. Or are you telling me you were talking to yourself?"

Emma stared at him in surprise. There was something wrong with this entire situation. It should not be like this at all. Suddenly she understood, what her problem with it was, "why have you stopped to trust me all of a sudden?"

They stared at each other for a moment and now it was for him to be surprised. He pulled her closer and moved to the music only he could hear again, "that's not the problem."

"If not, then what is up with you?"

"You're keeping secrets from me", he said less aggressive than before. In fact, he appeared to be relaxed more than before.

"Why would I", Emma asked and avoided to think of Nova and Base and his story. She just hadn't found a way to talk with him yet. They didn't have any proof for what Base had noticed and it was true, that Hook wouldn't trust them without it. She had noticed it herself that he trusted the old crewmembers quite a lot. Sometimes she even had the impression he was seeing something in them Emma couldn't even imagine. His crew had become his family even though he declared that there was nothing like that for him.

"Why don't you tell me", he said and his lips touched slightly her right ear while talking to her.

"About what for example", she asked and ignored the sensation of his touch, which made her a little nervous. She needed to concentrate. This was not the right time to get lost in something between them that wasn't even real. Something that could never be real between them. In addition to that, it was definitely not the right time to react like a little girl now, which always seemed to be the case, when Hook was involved.

"You're sudden friendship with Base."

Emma stumbled over her own feet and stared at him, "my what?"

His expression darkened once more, "do you deny that now, too?"

"I just wouldn't call it friendship."

"Then what would you call it", he asked as serious as she almost had to laugh as she noticed his expression.

Emma held it back since she didn't want to offend him, "are you jealous?"

"No", he said like he didn't care, but it wasn't convincing at all, "why should I?"

That was a very good question, since she was certain now, that he lied to her. Her mouth went dry again and she stared at him as if he had grown a horn, "I don't know. You just ask such strange questions."

She didn't dare to call him out to his lie, since there was still the possibility that she was mistaken. She couldn't rely on it as much as usual if she was talking with him.

He shrugged but didn't commend that, "I was just surprised to notice who well you suddenly get along with each other. And I wondered why you would have to meet on deck at dawn."

He had seen them this morning. Therefore, he had not been asleep when she had left the captain's quarter at all. Had he heard something of their conversation? How had he managed to see them without them noticing him at all? There she had been so happy and relieved that nobody would be able to spy on them and then he stated that he had watched them. It was like a slap in her face.

"Shouldn't you teach me how to dance in this thing instead of asking pointless questions?"

"So there is something", he said jumping to his own conclusions.

"You are jealous, aren't you?"

Hook shoved her gently back, held up his hook and her right hand and spun her before she could react at all, while saying, "shall we try to spin you?"

The farthingale hit his legs and she stopped, believing that she had hurt him with it. He pulled her back against his chest and continued their movements as if she hadn't stopped in the middle, but this time their steps were a lot slower than before, "there is something you need to understand about this frame, Love. It might be strong and stable so it won't fall apart, but it's just as elastic, so it doesn't hurt me, when it hits me."

Emma smiled, what he couldn't see, since she was close to his right ear, "what makes you believe I'd be worried about that?"

For a short moment, she could almost feel his grin, but then it vanished, "would you worry about Base?"

She swallowed and decided to avoid an answer since he was so caught up in his wrong idea and this was not the right time to correct it, "I really think we shouldn't talk about this now."

"Why not", his voice almost sounded disappointed.

"You really are jealous, aren't you?"

To her surprise, he didn't deny it as usual. As she heard his low voice whispering into her ear, she was glad that she didn't have to face him, because he totally brought her out of concept, "would you want that? That I'm jealous?"

Emma frowned. She didn't know how to answer, what surprised her even more than his reaction. Did she want him to be jealous? Did she want him to have feelings for her that would be needed to be jealous of another man because of her? She didn't want to face those questions and she didn't want to answer him, so she decided to avoid it, "why else would you care?"

Hook stepped back and gave her free. His glance was very intense as it met her eyes and so was his voice, "maybe because I am jealous."

Emma felt her heart beating to her neck. The only thing she could hear was her blood rushing through her ears as her heartbeat sped up. She didn't know how to react or how to feel. All she knew was that she was frightened. She was afraid of his interest in her, which his answer implied, if it was true and her instincts were telling her that it was. She was afraid of the way he had been looking at her when he had told her this. Moreover, she was too scared to believe him, since the last time she had heard something like that, her heart had been broken and she had been betrayed, which almost had cost her life.

"Emma", Doris said from somewhere behind Hook and it sounded like she had called for her for several times now, because she sounded annoyed, "you need to get ready. Come on."

Emma swallowed her fears and walked past him without saying a single word. She wasn't in the right condition to say anything about this. He had caught her off guard too much and for some reason she was certain that it had been exactly what he had wanted. Anyway, walking away like that felt like running from him for some reason and even though it wasn't a nice feeling, it felt right now. It was what she needed to start thinking and feeling free again.

As she reached the backdoor to Doris' cottage, she stopped but didn't turn to face him, "just leave Base at the Jolly Roger. Believe me, it would be a vise decision."


	14. The thin line between right and wrong

13\. The thin line between right and wrong

It had felt like hours, when Doris had put Emma into that dress like a doll, had covered the kiss mark at her neck with rouge and had styled her hair and her face as if she was creating some peace of art. Nevertheless, Emma had endured it bravely so she could sit in this carriage beside Hook now. She wasn't as happy as Doris had been when she had been done with her, but she could cope with her task in this stupid plan. The only thing that had really troubled her since Doris had been done with her had been the fact that Hook had had to help her inside the carriage because of her huge blue dress and the farthingale.

Hook had listened to her and had left Base on board of the Jolly Roger as she had asked him to. Instead of him, Crouch and Blake joined them to King Klaus' castle. The King had send the carriage to pick up Lord Sinclair and it had been very easy for the two pirates to take the drivers' places, since the men had been greedy and lacy enough to accept some money and spent the night in a tavern instead of waiting in a carriage the entire night.

Emma looked outside the window and watched the landscape changing from old houses to trees and bushes until she could see a castle in the near distance. Hook hadn't asked about Base anymore and she was glad about that. His idea of a relationship between them was nothing but ridiculous and she couldn't imagine how he had even come up with it to begin with. However, she didn't like that he thought of her like that, since these kinds of thoughts destroyed their trust in each other and that was the last thing they could need now.

Maybe it was time to reveal something to him. He had noticed Nova somehow, even though she didn't have the slightest idea how, because she had been small and most of the time she had even been invincible. But he had managed to notice her and she couldn't shake the impression it would turn out really bad for their teamwork, if she wouldn't at least reveal her existence to him. It would be easier to tell him about a fairy, which he couldn't see and who wasn't there most of the time, than to talk about something as personal as his crew and a possible betrayer on his own ship, when they didn't have any proof for it or even a hint on who it was yet.

Emma sighed. But this wasn't the right moment for such a conversation even though she would have loved to ask some questions herself. Nova had told her, that the powder that they were after, had been created by Cora and that it was very powerful and even dangerous, since it could stop even a fairies work for the good side, if something like that really existed. So what did Hook want to do with that sand? Why was it so important and how exactly did it work? Would they really need it or was there another way to achieve what they wanted to achieve?

They passed a huge portal and the sound of the horses' hooves changed as they hit the stony pavement of the castle. Hook finally broke the silence between them, "are you ready?"

Emma grinned nervously, "how does that feel to be ready?"

He smiled at her with this very rare smile that touched her deeply every time he revealed it to her, "don't worry. You'll be all right. You'll shine."

"Let's hope not", she said a little breathless, "or they'll notice something."

He shrugged, "I wouldn't worry about that too much. As long as we get that sand before they do notice everything will be fine."

"I don't know", Emma said slowly more to herself than to him, "I'm not really the person to dress up like this, attend a ball and to dance around. I've never been."

"Is that what has been troubling you all the time?"

She could feel his gaze focusing on her again, but she didn't meet his eyes and looked out of the window again. This wasn't the time to get nervous about an intense glance from Hook. She could feel that it was intense but she didn't allow it to make her nervous again.

"You can't know if you're not made for it unless you at least do it for once, Love."

She sighed.

"Well, I actually thought you enjoyed dancing with me."

Emma smiled before she could stop herself, "and what made you believe though?"

"You allowed me to take the lead", he answered without even thinking about it, "even though you prefer control over trust."

She remembered their conversation about that matter and swallowed hard. It felt like ages had passed ever since even though it had been just months. Had she really changed that much during that time? Had she become careless around him or was it just natural to grow together through living and working together for such a long time?

Emma chuckled, "you know, I wouldn't read too much into that."

"But you've got to admit that I'm a pretty good dancer", he joked again while their carriage got in a row in front of the main entrance, where the guests were leaving their carriages.

Emma shrugged and remembered their conversation before her first dance lesson very well, "I can't judge that. I have no comparison. Remember? You're the first person I've ever danced with according to your words."

Hook grinned, "careful Love, I might decide to give you the opportunity to find some tonight."

"Does that mean, you want to choose someone to dance with me?"

Hook smiled, "scared?"

"Just of your choice", Emma returned his smile, "the last time you chose someone for me, he tried to force himself on me and I had to knock him out."

Hook's smile vanished, "at least the Lord got what he deserved. Even though I wouldn't mind to double what he got."

Their carriage stopped and Blake opened the door beside her. Hook left the carriage first before he helped her outside. She wished, they had practiced that with this dress before, too. Emma took the arm he offered to her and allowed him to lead her inside, while Blake and Crouch stayed behind with the carriage. It was strange to leave the only way to escape from this castle behind and to walk right into the lion's dent. It became worse the further they made their way through the crowd of guests and servants waiting for them to help them out of their cloaks.

"Stop fidgeting", Hook whispered amused even though it was obvious that he wasn't as cool as he pretended to be, "or you will definitely stand out."

"That's not funny", Emma whispered back almost without moving her lips, "is it always like this?"

"What?"

"That it is as crowded at the beginning of a ball as today? I guess, I've never seen as many rich people as now at once", she said and eyed the people around her. The women were dressed in big gowns in every possible color, their hair were tweaked up in different forms, that suited them very well and from their ears and around there necks they wore jewels in every size and color. The men were dressed as well as Hook and even some of them wore jewels.

Emma stole a glance at his ears and his wrists and noticed that he didn't wear anything like that. He even had taken off his earring. She frowned. Until now, she hadn't noticed that he had taken off his hook, "where is that hand coming from?"

He looked at her confused, "what hand?"

Emma nodded at the arm he used to take her along like a gentleman and raised an eyebrow, "that one."

Hook grinned, "it's not real. It's wooden, Love, so don't worry."

She sighed, "actually that little thought was a nice distraction from this crap here."

"Sht", he almost laughed, before he introduced them to the chamberlain as Lord Sinclair and his little sister the lovely Charlotte. Shortly after that, their names were announced throughout the entire hall and they were allowed to enter the ballroom. It was a huge room with tall walls and a very high ceiling. Everything was painted in white except for the stony pavement to their feet. There were columns at special spots in the room, that had to carry the ceiling where the walls couldn't effort it anymore and from the entrance to the room, there lead four stairs to the actual dancing hall. At the other end of the room, there was a pedestal that was a little higher than the entrance, where two thrones were placed. The rest of the room was as crowded that Emma was surprised. It seemed unnatural that there already were as many people in this room as now, since they had entered this castle with so many people before.

"Close your mouth, Love", Hook whispered into her ear and his lips barely touched it, "I know, it's impressive, but we need to concentrate now and if someone sees you stare like that…"

"Then we will have to pretend that this was my first ball", she shrugged as if it was nothing, even though it was more than tough for her. This seemed to be an entirely different world from what she knew.

Hook didn't comment that but simply lead her right down the stairs and into the crowed, giving her some other information about balls in general, "it's not usual to have as many people invited to a ball, so the King must consider this to be something like an engagement ball, which means-"

"He wants to make his intentions to marry his own daughter official tonight", Emma cut him off and stared at him, "we need to do something before he does, Hook."

"Calm down", he insisted gently and wandered through the room with her, "that's not how stuff like this works. First, the flow of arriving guests needs to stop, then he'll officially welcome everyone, the music will start and everyone gathers to dance, talk or eat and drink and some time later, he will announce it. At least that's how it should be."

Emma frowned, "how do you know all that?"

Their eyes met as they stopped in front of a column close to the pedestal where King Klaus's throne was. Hook grinned but it didn't reach his eyes, "I wasn't always a pirate, Love."

"What", she asked a little louder than necessary and froze as she noticed it. She swallowed hard while Hook's expression turned into something indefinable, "you never told me about it."

"It's not important. That was a very long time ago."

Emma stared at him as if she saw him for the first time. She was so curious that she even had forgotten to be nervous and to worry about dancing, saving Lotte and stealing from the king in a huge blue gown like this, "how long?"

"As long as it wouldn't make any point to tell you, since there is no way you could already have existed at that time", he said fast and focused on something behind her. The way he had said it made clear that he didn't want to talk about this subject now. Too bad. She would have loved to hear his story not just, because it would have been a welcome distraction but because she was curious for whom he had been before he had turned into the pirate with the dark agenda.

"So how many guards do you see", he suddenly asked and got back to business.

She looked over his shoulder and searched the room for men who hide swords underneath their frocks and those who were dressed in armors openly.

"Around 15 in armor and five in disguise, I guess", Emma answered and met his eyes, "and you?"

"About as much", he answered seriously, "but I assume there are more than that."

"Most likely. So what now?"

Hook took her hand, encircled it with his arm and sauntered through the room with her just like before, "for now we'll just enjoy the evening until we find a way to get up into his rooms."

Emma frowned and tightened her grip on his arm a little, "do you really think he would leave such a precious item behind somewhere? Why shouldn't he carry the sand with him all the time?"

"That's the problem. I don't know", he admitted darkly and looked at her hand, "are you nervous?"

"No."

"Lie", Hook grinned and stopped close to another column, "and I don't even need a special ability to notice that."

"Are you making fun of me", she asked playful and looked straight into his eyes. He stepped closer until she almost felt his presence physically. She could even see the separate hair of his beard.

"How could I possibly make fun of a woman as beautiful as you are tonight", he smiled mockingly and his voice was very charming and filled with amusement. Underneath all the charm and amusement, there was a hint of seriousness. It didn't even sound strange as he said it like that. On the contrary, Emma felt flattered. She swallowed hard and looked to the side with a very serious expression since she wasn't used to compliments like this. She couldn't face him as she felt her ears warming up, which meant she was blushing.

She felt his glance directed on her. She didn't even need to face him. It was like a tender touch that made her nervous and stood between them just like the heavy silence between them now. Suddenly his presence and his closeness were too much. He was too close and that not just physically. She would have loved to retort something smart and funny to ease the moment but nothing came to her mind. It was blank. All that was left was the strange feeling his words and his glance left inside her. Soon his focus on her was not just intense but unbearable. She could almost feel it physically as if he had reached out and touched her face. She managed to look up to him hoping that it would ease the pressure on her and froze as she met his blue eyes. The ocean blue color had turned into something darker. Now his eyes had the dark blue color of a stormy ocean. His features had turned softer just like his expression in contrast to it. She had felt this glance before but never had she seen his face as clearly as now in a moment like this. Her mouth went dry and like a deer on the run, her breath quickened a little.

Their eye contact lasted just for one or two seconds, before he let his eyes wander to her mouth that opened a little as if she needed to breathe through it. Her lips started to burn and almost automatically, her glance dropped to his lips. His mouth was drawn into a thin line and his jaw was clenched as if he was fighting himself.

What was she doing here? Why did she just give in and didn't wince back or fight it like she usually did in such situations? She looked at the column to her left to ease the tense situation between them. It didn't work. It turned out to be worse not to see what he was doing while looking at her like this than to actually see it. But she noticed his right hand. He was leaning at the column pushing himself up with his right arm. His hand was turned into a tight fist as if he had to collect courage or as if he was angry. His thump caressed his fingers nervously for a second then it went back in place and squeezed his fingers just like before.

She looked back into his face. Could it be that this situation was as tough on him as it was on her? But it didn't even seem that way judging the way he was looking at her. Her heartbeat sped up as his gaze wandered deeper and stopped in her décolleté. Her skin warmed up and her breasts became heavy. Without really noticing it, he shoved himself closer to her across the column until she could feel his breath on her skin. His eyes wandered up her neck, across her chin and her lips, where it remained for a short second again und stopped at her eyes. The color of his eyes had turned even darker and to her surprise, she reacted almost automatically to it. Her hands tickled as if they had been numb just a second ago, her stomach clenched, her pulse sped up until she could her nothing but her blood rushing through her veins and she felt the endless and overwhelming need to lean into him. Her neck tickled and waited for his hand to cup it and her breathing stopped.

After two seconds, he looked to the side and snorted. He cleared his throat and shoved both his hand and the wooden sham into his trousers as if he wanted to stop himself from touching her. Then he took a step back again and looked through the room as if he was searching for an escape. He released another breath but avoided to look at her again. Maybe he had to sort out some things first. Immediately Emma felt as if he had given her free. The numb feeling in her ears vanished and bit for bit the noise of the festivity broke down on her like the calm and steady surges of water at a bay. Her breath slowed down and the heat in her lips and her décolleté cooled down. Just the red color and the heat of her face remained.

Emma looked around as she realized that they weren't alone. The reality crushed down on her and she feared that someone had noticed their strange behavior towards each other. Had somebody watched her heated and intense moment? Did somebody look down on them now for their bad behavior? Or had nobody noticed anything. Her eyes rushed through the ballroom, jumping from face to face on the search for somebody who blushed like her or stared at them offended. Or maybe for someone who stared at them angrily or someone who gossiped about them.

A loud knocking that filled the air even across the noise of talking people caught her attention as the emcee pushed his ceremonial rod to the ground. The humming noise around them died out and everyone in the room turned to look at him in silent expectation. Hook snapped out of his rigid and turned to look at him as well. He chuckled about something she couldn't understand und grabbed her hand as if he had just mastered a very difficult task. Actually, he suddenly was in a very good mood.

"May I ask for your attention please", the emcee announced in a noble way. It was needlessly since everybody was waiting for him to continue anyway, "her majesty King Klaus and Princess Lotte."

The musicians stroke up a loud fanfare and the King walked into the room. He wore a very high and mighty expression and was dressed in a red and tight suit with golden neckband, a matching cloak and black boots. His brown hair with grey and almost white strands was short and barely reached his shoulders in his neck. His neck was almost covered by a huge and high sleeve. A huge golden crown decorated with jewels different shape and color finished his outfit and branded him as the royal he was.

A younger woman followed him side by side and allowed him to lead her into the room. Her hair was blonde and reached her hips in soft curls. Only some strands of it were braided. Her huge gown was green. Her outfit was completed by a long golden necklace, matching bracelets at each arm and a ring with a golden stone on her left ring finger. Lotte was young, beautiful, innocent and very scared and sad. As much could Emma tell by just looking at her, even though she hid those emotions almost perfectly behind a warm and wide smile. She looked like a true and happy lady, but the educated eye couldn't be fooled by her mask.

"She has got to be Lotte", Hook whispered directly into her ear, while the King made his way through the crowed the princess hanging from his arm like a price he had won. The captain's breath touched her skin and her still confused heart set into another race. Her skin tickled where it had warmed it and she swallowed hard.

Hook turned away from her as if he had burned himself on her. Therefore, he wasn't as fine as he pretended to be, neither. It was a relief to notice that. Emma just nodded instead of answering him verbally. She didn't trust her voice yet and she didn't want anybody to overhear their conversation.

The music stopped, the people waited for the King's speech in silence and stared at the throne, in front of which the royals had stopped. After some friendly welcoming words, King Klaus sat down in his thrown and signed the musicians to continue with the festivities. Lotte sat beside him as if she hadn't been able to escape fast enough. Maybe Hook was right and the King really wanted to announce his crazy plans of marrying his own daughter. Maybe the ring at her ring finger was an engagement ring. Maybe he would announce it later on, as Hook had expected him to.

Suddenly the pirate held out his hand to her and directed her attention from the sad princess back to him. He bowed down like she had seen him do it just today as they had practiced over and over again and her heart sank into her stomach, "my Lady, may I have this dance with you?"

"Oh", she said without thinking about it, "no."

"That's not really what I expected", he chuckled but still held his hand out to her.

Emma ignored it, "for real?"

"Actually it's exactly what I expected", he admitted and stood straight. For a moment, he studied her before he sighed. He stepped closer, his eyes set on her with a silent plea to give in to him and the conviction that she definitely would do as he whished even if she wouldn't want to. It was as if he wanted to give her an option and leave the decision to her but at the same time they both knew that there was no option to choose or a decision to be made now, since they were here and had to act like ordinary guests. He smiled charmingly and took her hand, playing with her fingers. He held it up to his mouth but didn't kiss it. Then he looked at her across the ankles of her right hand but unlike before, he had an expression that was mixed of his dark eyes and his jokingly pulled up eyebrows. His voice was a deep whisper filled with humor and challenge, "come on, Love. What do you have to lose?"

She would get crazy if this would continue the entire evening now. She hadn't calmed down from their earlier strange and intense conversation and now she was already supposed to jump into another strange situation with him. First, he emitted this dark and sexy aura and now he was charming, charismatic and had humor. Hook had never unleashed his charms like this on her and it made her nervous. Why had he changed this much tonight? Was it about the ball? Was it her dress? Or maybe it was the role he had to play and seemed to enjoy a little too much? Or was he just trying to find out which ploy would work best on her? No matter what is reasons were, he was excessively close and as she knew from experience by now, it wouldn't change when they would dance. It was more in the contrary.

Besides that, she was amazed how easy it was to remind her of everything that could go wrong with a simple question like this. There was their plan that could blow up because of her and her bad abilities in dancing if she would cause a turmoil. She could accidentally hurt him or herself, which would be just as sickening for their plan, because it was hard to run with sprained or even broken bones. Her personal fear to appear ridiculous in front of everyone here, which she didn't understand at all, since she usually didn't care for such things, followed by her fear to be shoved at somebody else by Hook. He had warned her to do so for several times already and she wasn't certain that she would be able to play her role of his little sister Charlotte well enough for such an encounter at all. But first of all, she was afraid to…

"Come on", he said smiling and disturbed her dark thoughts, placed her hand on his wooden one and held out his right hand so she could grab it, if she wanted to, "don't think. Just do it."

Emma sighed. And he had said her greatest fear. With this man and his strange moods tonight, she didn't dare to give up control. It was too dangerous to stop thinking around him if he was like this, because it usually lead to stupid things like almost kissing him or thinking about kissing him, which he could easily notice since he was able to read her so well. It had always lead to this if she had stopped being careful around him. Earlier had been the perfect example for it. And it certainly would turn out like that again. It wouldn't be good for them.

However, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her softly to the dancing area. He stepped backwards and held her glance as if he was afraid she might change her mind, if he wasn't careful enough. Then he stopped and placed her hand on his right shoulder. As he noticed her expression he smiled, "don't look so angry."

"I don't", she stated surprised and tightened her grip around his wooden dummy, while he wrapped his right hand around her waist to place it in her back where it warmed her through the fabric of her dress. This time he kept space between them, but it seemed to be the ordinary dancing style here, because everyone danced like that. She felt a little more at ease seeing that.

"You do", he insisted gently and chuckled as he realized that she hadn't even noticed it, "usually dancing is something harmless and nice, but you look at me like I was about to kill you with it, Love."

"I don't", she said a little softer, "I'm just concentrating."

Hook grinned and his hand in her back tightened but he didn't pull her closer, "how about you concentrate on something else?"

"Like what", she asked amused. It was easier to relax around him if they kept talking she realized now. At least it was more relaxing than his intense glance on her skin or even thinking about it. She swallowed and banished that thought somewhere in the back of her mind.

"Lotte", he whispered, "the princess was just asked for a dance. I'll keep an eye on the crazy old man."

Emma took a short look in the King's direction, "he doesn't seem to like to see his daughter dance with someone too much, if you ask me."

"Maybe he is just jealous", Hook answered in a strange voice, before he spun her around, so she could see Lotte. She stood with her back to him and bobbed up and down in his rhythm, his chest at her back, his right hand on her belly and his whisper in her ear joined by the warmth of his breath against her ear, "he seems to be quite possessive."

Emma pushed the strange sensation into the back of her mind and cursed herself for thinking a mere conversation with Hook couldn't turn out strange again. Had he only been talking about the King or himself now as well? If she thought about what he had said about Base and her, she wasn't as convinced of it as she might have been without that information.

She found Lotte. The Princess danced with a young man of her age. His hair was blond like hers and he smiled at her as if the sun had decided to shine just for him. Sadly, she didn't return it, but Emma understood just too well, why she couldn't.

Hook turned her around to him and circled with her together so she could see her across his shoulder. Angrily she wondered why he hadn't done that in the first place. But instead of pointing that out, which would have been pointless anyway, she corrected him, "you mean he is insane."

Lotte and her dancing partner came closer, so maybe she would be able to talk with her without being noticed. They just needed to be smart and careful.

Something in Hook's voice changed, "sometimes to love can have the same effect."

Emma stared at him in surprise, "what do you mean?"

"I'm not defending him, Love. What he wants to do and his sick desires behind it are nothing but wrong", he stated deciding before he looked across her shoulder again, "I was speaking in general."

Emma let it slide and focused on the princess instead. However, the strange feeling that he hadn't been talking about the King but himself was as strong as before. Was he thinking of Milah and his decision to hunt for vengeance for her life? Or was he talking about her in the end? Considering their conversations and interactions ever since they had teamed up and how they had changed during that time, it was possible that he was referring to her, too, wasn't it? Was he thinking about Base and her again? Or was he actually referring to her and him? It seemed impossible to be true, but even though she didn't believe that he actually was in love with her, she couldn't deny the attraction between them. To deny it there had been to many almost kisses, caresses and situations like before. It had been intense and maybe he was referring to that feeling instead of love.

But it was more likely that he was talking about his Milah and what he had done for her. She didn't know a lot about her, so it was highly possible that he had done some strange things for her out of love. Just like, she had done some strange things out of love for Neal.

"We should concentrate on Lotte and our plan", she stated and pushed her own memories of her first love back into the corner of her mind, where she kept stuff like that, if she didn't want to deal with it, "shall we talk with her?"

"There is only one way to do that, Love", Hook said and tightened his grip on her. His voice sounded strange and for a short moment, he even pulled her closer. They stared into each other's eyes, "trust me."

He stopped dancing and let go of her. His expression was very serious as he took her hand, led her to Lotte and her dancing partner and interrupted them by tipping on the stranger's shoulder. No matter what she had expected, this definitely hadn't been it. They way he had asked her to trust him, she had believed that he wanted to start a fight out of the blue. Now she realized that he simply made his threat true.

"Excuse me, Sir", he said in a very formal and polite voice and bowed for the princess, "your highness."

"What do you want", the man asked.

"May I have a dance with the princess now", Hook asked bold. Even for Emma it was clear that this wasn't a behavior according to the etiquette. They both stared at him and for a long moment, they didn't even notice Emma. Then Lotte focused on her face and her dress. Realization struck and she stared straight into Emma's eyes again. Hope and relief were shining through her eyes.

Her dancing partner didn't notice any of this. He was still confused and maybe even a little offended by Hook's bad try to change dancing partners. Anyway, he didn't start a fight nor did he call him out on it. He was calm and polite, but didn't leave the pirate out of sight even though he wasn't talking to him, "my Lady, it depends on your whishes."

Lotte snapped out of her thoughts and stared at him as if she had totally forgotten about him. She relaxed and smiled at him very kindly and warm, "I think it would be just fair and save to change partners from time to time, Prince Kevin."

As he heard the word "save", he focused on the princess as if she had slapped him. After a moment, he smiled sadly but respected her decision. Somehow, Emma had the impression that there had been more message in this simple sentence than she had understood. She looked at the King, who talked to a man she hadn't noticed before. He was dressed all in black and nervously glanced into their direction while listening to his majesty's words. Then he focused on the emcee.

If she wasn't mistaken than this man was the King's adviser or something like that. At least it was obvious he wasn't a guest. The King had to have asked for Hook's identity. At least that was what she would have done if she had watched the person important to her interacting with a stranger. However, if this was true, than the King would notice that their identities were fake soon, since he had to know Lord Sinclair well, if even Doris had had as much information about him.

Emma stared at Prince Kevin in surprise as he bowed before her and asked her to dance while Hook led Lotte away from them. He looked at her meaningful, but she didn't get what he wanted to tell her. Actually, she hadn't even heard anything of their conversation before, because she had been too focused on the King. Shocked and surprised she remembered what Doris had taught her and curtsied, "it would be my pleasure."

He gently took her hand and Emma was surprised to notice, that it was even easier to dance with somebody other than Hook, because she was more focused and relaxed.

"Lord Sinclair said this was your first ball", he said politely and tried to fake interest in her while his eyes kept wandering off to Lotte over and over again.

Emma smiled amused as easy and relaxed she felt. If he really was as polite as he pretended to be, it was nice to have somebody of her age to care for Lotte. Maybe Doris would approve of him, too. Doris…

Emma swallowed as she remembered their little conversation about mothers. Maybe it would be better to ask some questions before she would judge him. She smiled amused and obviously followed his glance, "you like the princess, don't you?"

The Prince, who hadn't even noticed that she hadn't answered him, looked at her in surprise, "is it that obvious?"

Her smile grew bigger, "have you known each other for long?"

He hesitated and stared at her. Then he released a very deep breath, before he answered her, "no. I met her in the forest one month ago. I didn't know who she was, but I fell immediately for her. She is kind, smart, polite and beautiful. She has her own will, can be very thickheaded and her laugh sounds like bells."

As he noticed what he had just told her, he blushed, "I'm sorry. It's not polite to talk about another woman like that while dancing with you."

Emma smiled amused, "how did you meet?"

Prince Kevin was surprised as he noticed her interest. Again, he hesitated to answer, but as he noticed how Hook and Lotte talked with each other, the words slipped out of his mouth, "I was hunting, when my horse went through. I ended up in this realm and almost rode her over. She was dressed in a strange cloak of different kind of furs and she threw mud at me, because she was angry with me. After that she tried to threaten me to take her along into my realm."

"What happened then", Emma asked curious. If she already had been as close to her escape as that, than why was she still here?

"We argued and I made her laugh, when I slipped and fell into the mud", he remembered melancholic. He hesitated, he stared at something behind Emma's shoulder and his smile vanished as he slowly said, "I wanted to help her. But as we reached the border of this realm, the King's guards were waiting for us, accusing her of robbery. While I tried to fight the, she was taken away. I was warned to leave if I didn't want to cause a war. Soon after I heard a shot and I was told that she was executed. They even gave a blood soaked part of her cloak to me."

Grieve appeared in his eyes and he looked at Lotte again, "I shouldn't have believed it. I should have looked for her right away."

"You are here now."

"But it is too late."

"It's never too late", Emma pointed out, "what do you know about King Klaus?"

Kevin's expression changed. He hesitated with his answer and studied her carefully. He wasn't certain what he could tell her and what not. He wasn't certain if he should trust her.

"You don't need to tell me, if you don't want to. I'm just curious", she explained.

"Don't get me wrong but you are Lord Sinclair's sister", he said slowly, "and your brother is supposed to be close to the King."

"I swear that Lord Sinclair will never find out anything about what you tell me", she promised and grinned secretly, since Hook wasn't the person Kevin believed to be and she wouldn't break her promise.

"But you are a woman and you shouldn't be confronted with information that is not meant for your ears."

Emma smiled at him gently. There was just no way to hate him and it was quite difficult to distrust him. He was just too kind and honest. She took a deep breath, "Lotte is a young woman, too. She is even younger than I am and if I can do anything to help her, I'll do it. You just need to give me the opportunity to do so."

Kevin frowned, "what makes you believe she needed your help?"

"You just told me, that she had been imprisoned for robbery and was supposed to be executed by her own guards. And you said that she had tried to escape. Of course she needs help."

He sighed and gave up, "her father is insane, to say it nicely. Everyone knows that, but nobody dares to attack him, because he somehow knows everything that happens at the borders to his realm. This place just can't be stormed. I planned to and I was stopped by my father. Besides that, nobody wanted to build an alliance with me to fight him because of that. In addition to that, most of the realms around here have their own problems and can't afford to burry their minds with more problems.

You have no idea how surprised I was, when I noticed that Lotte was his daughter everyone has been talking about all the time. He is strangely obsessed with her, which might be her biggest problem here."

Kevin's expression changed once more as he glared across her shoulder, "is that really Lord Sinclair?"

She looked at him in surprise, "why do you ask?"

"I've heard strange rumors about him. He must be a womanizer", he was jealous. As he noticed what he had just said, he looked at her apologetically, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk about your brother like this."

"That's why I know exactly that he really is Lord Sinclair", she joked, "could it be that you're jealous?"

Kevin smiled shyly and his eyes shone from amusement. He didn't say anything and there was no need for that. His expression said everything. After a moment, it turned serious again and he focused on Hook and Lotte, who were smiling at each other, "I'm sorry, but I don't trust your brother."

"You don't need to worry about him", she tried to convince him and maybe even herself, but she would never admit it, not even to him.

"I've heard many stories about him and some would have been enough to imprison or even kill him", he said darkly, "stories which would scare you. I'm certain you wouldn't believe half of them. They would make you feel sick."

"Lord Sinclair is a devil, that's true", she said slowly and chose her words carefully, "he's made a lot of mistakes and I'm certain, he will continue to do so. But my brother is someone I could always count on so far."

Kevin frowned at her for a very long moment. He cleared his throat, "that doesn't sound convinced, if you ask me."

"My brother is important to me", Emma said and was surprised that she actually admitted something like that about Hook, even though he didn't understand the code behind her words, "but I don't like every of Lord Sinclair's decisions."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what", Emma asked. She had secretly enjoyed talking about the two different men like that, even though the Prince didn't understand anything. Kevin was right about the true Lord. He really was a true devil and after he had tried to force himself on her, there was no way, she would ever defend him or have to say something nice about him. But she had to like him if she wanted to convince in the role of his younger sister, so she projected everything good she had to say on Hook.

"Why do you talk about him so strangely", Kevin asked when he finally revealed that he had noticed her little, pointless trick. Well, sometimes it is as if there were two different men", she said and smiled to herself, while Kevin seemed to accept her reasoning and focused on Lotte again.

Emma glanced at the King, who was still starring at Lotte and Hook while his secretary finally reached the emcee. This wasn't good. Soon their cover would be blown.

Kevin stared at her before he followed her glance and noticed the King. His glance darkened, "he doesn't seem to like your brother."

"He doesn't seem to like any man in this room who comes close to the Princess", Emma corrected without thinking. As she realized it, they stared at each other for a second. The music stopped just to start with another melody, dancing pairs left the dance floor, others walked up to it and Hook lead Lotte back to them. The princess looked nervous and worried instead of relieved and happy, as Emma would have expected her to. What had Hook told her?

"Prince", Hook greeted him shortly, before he focused on Emma with a serious expression, "I hope my sister was great company to you."

"She was indeed", Kevin answered seriously. But there was something in his voice that sounded not just angry but almost warningly, "your sister is an angel, Lord." He kissed Emma's hand, before he handed it back to Hook and turned to Lotte. He bowed, "may I have this dance, Princess?"

Lotte smiled warmly at him, let go of Hook's arm and held out her hand to the prince to accept his offer to dance. She followed him to the dance floor and left them behind. Emma waited just until she was certain that they couldn't hear them, "the King is suspicious of us."

"That was to be expected", Hook answered darkly, "but this dance was absolutely necessary."

"What did you find out?"

"Our dear King isn't careful anymore", he said sarcastically and took her hand to lead her through the room, "he left the sand in his rooms. Lotte saw it when she was waiting for him."

"So what now", Emma asked as they stopped in a corner of the ballroom.

"Now, we search for that sand."

Her eyes wandered off to the princess, "what about Lotte? How shall we get her out of here?"

Hook sighed and Emma understood. Now it was clear why Lotte had looked so worried, but she wouldn't agree to this, "no. I won't just leave her behind. We promised Doris to get her out of here and I stay true to my word."

"Calm down, Love."

"No."

"Relax", he grabbed both of her shoulders, "she'll come to us on her own. If everything works out that is."

"And how should she do that? The king is watching her every move, Hook. He won't leave her out of sight", she pointed out worried.

He pointed at the dancing pair they had just parted with, "he is the key."

Emma frowned, "what? Kevin?"

"It depends all on him", he stated and glanced at the king, who send away his secretary who finally had made his way back to him. It seemed now that Hook wasn't dancing with Lotte anymore, the king didn't care about the pirate, but only about Prince Kevin instead. The secretary on the other hand searched the room for them.

"Come on", Hook said and took her hand to lead her back to the dance floor, "we shouldn't waste any more time."

Emma frowned, "so you think dancing like this isn't wasting time?"

He grinned, "no. It's the fastest way to get through the crowed. What did you talk about with the prince?"

Emma frowned and followed him through the room, "we talked about Lord Sinclair and his awful behavior."

"So that's why he is staring at me like that", he understood and let go of her to pull her through the crowed, up the small stairs and outside into the hall, "that explains everything."

They were silent for a short moment.

"Were you referring to me or to the real Lord when you did", he asked curious and his glance was almost forcing her to tell him the truth.

She ignored it, "I didn't lie."

He frowned and stopped to move. He stared at her unable to judge her words. Unable to tell if she had something bad about him and if she had meant it that way or if she had referred to the real Lord in that case. His hands fell to his sides just to grab hers and pull her up the small stairs to the entrance hall. He led her up another staircase und through corridors. To her surprise, he knew the way. Lotte must have had told her. Strangely, nobody seemed to care for them as they entered the private area, that wasn't connected to the ball at all. Was it a trap? Why didn't anybody care about them? But when she noticed the other pairs up here, she was not surprised anymore. In fact, it seemed to be the ordinary thing to happen, that the guests came up here to have a little fun in private.

Hook suddenly stopped and tried to open a door, but it was locked. He knelt down in front of it and tried to break through the keyhole. He checked it to see if it was locked from inside and sighed, "too bad I couldn't bring along my hook."

"Let me do that", Emma said and shoved him aside, the carpet, that lead through the entire hallway up here covering their steps. She fished two pins of a hanging carpet at a wall and stuck them into the keyhole. In seconds, the lock was opened.

Hook pushed open the door and smiled at her charmingly, "after you, My Lady."

"How courteous", she smiled sarcastically especially since she had done the work and not him. At the same time, it felt like in old times to joke around while stealing and not to consider a possible capture by guards. It reminded her of a part of her that she had locked away fro the past years ever since her last raid. It was strange and somehow it even seemed to be out of place since she wasn't the Emma she had been back then anymore. She never wanted to be the naïve girl, who trusted her partner blindly ever again. Back then, it had hurt just too much to be betrayed by somebody as close to her as he had been.

Would Hook do the same? No, he wouldn't. Hook needed her to find Rumpelstiltskin or ideas about where to find him.

Hook closed the door behind them, "on occasion we have to talk about Graham's lessons, Love."

She looked at him a little surprised. She hadn't even noticed that she had entered this room as lost in her thoughts she had been so it took her a while to understand that he was still talking about that door. She wanted to correct him, since it had been Graham who had taught her to do this, but decided against it, because she didn't want to answer questions about Neal, "we both know that it wasn't something big since you could have easily opened it, too."

"Ouch", he said and placed his hand upon his chest as if she had hurt him, "pull in your claws, Cat, I don't mean to harm you."

He was right. Her words had slipped out in an unfriendly way. Maybe she was just paranoid, but now that she thought about it, his behavior had changed ever since their confrontation with Cora and she had been too blind to notice it. She only had noticed one half of it and had been blind to the other until now. Had he just used his charms to cover up his distrust or even his true plans without her? When she had met Rumpelstiltskin, he had questioned exactly this and even though she had noticed and questioned her own behavior towards Hook compared to Graham back then, she had forgotten about it soon after. Maybe she was just paranoid, but she couldn't take the chance to be wrong about a partner again. This time there wouldn't be a Graham to save her and pick up the peaces. This time she would maneuver herself into a much worse situation. This time in this situation right now, she wouldn't have to cope with someone who just was angry with her for trying to steal something but with an insane father, who would be furious with her for stealing the one thing that would help him to break every rule of ethics, moral, trust and a healthy relationship between family members by marrying his own daughter and committing incest. She could die.

Hook stared at her a little worried, "serious, Love, what is wrong with you?"

She snapped out of it, "I-I am jut wondering what Kevin will have to do and what we will do now."

For a moment, he studied her carefully and it was clear that he didn't believe her. Obviously, he decided to let it pass and walked past her into the room, which she recognized for the first time now. There were huge windows on the opposite side of the room, through which barely shone the dim light of the moon. In front of them was a huge desk that carried many papers. At the walls all around were sideboards, shelves with lots of books and a display case in which were three dresses of different shape and color and something that looked like a strange fur of several animals.

"The Prince will meet Blake and Crouch to provoke a confrontation and disturb the festivities", he answered her first question as he walked up to the desk, "they will fight the guards and hopefully the little Princess will make it up here in the meantime. At least we will make use of the time we'll get through this and search for the sand, before we get out of here." He looked up from the desk he was searching through and stared at Emma, who eyed the dresses in the display case, "that is if we focus on the sand now, of course. Love, I don't think this is the right time to develop interest in fashion."

Emma ignored his words and bit her bottom lip. She wasn't interested in fashion. Lotte would catch too much attention the way she was and this cloak would take care of the problem for them. She had planned to take these clothes with them all along believing that Lotte could need them in the future. Now it turned out that the cloak of different fur would be handy.

She heard Hook searching through the furniture behind her again, so he had given up to encourage her to help him. She didn't care. She searched the entire display case for a lock or something she could use to open it, but there was nothing. Just as she decided to simply break the glass, the door was opened and a very exhausted Lotte stumbled into the room. She breathed hard and stared at them as hell broke loose somewhere below them, "what are you doing?"

"Searching for the sand", Hook said frustrated and shoved a picture the side, that was hanging at the wall just in case there was a safe hidden behind it, "at least that's what I'm doing. Where is it, Lotte?"

"Underneath the carpet", the Princess answered through the noise and pulled at a desk to block the door, but it didn't move at all. It was too heavy for her. She was very nervous and the noise from below increased her rush, "whatever you do, don't touch the display case or he'll be here immediately."

Emma rushed to Hook and helped him with the huge carpet, "and what are you doing with that desk?"

"I block the door", Lotte answered the obvious.

"That's not what I meant. How do you expect us to get out of here, if you block that door?"

Lotte stopped and stared at them, "you want to go back down there?"

Hook broke the secret door in the floor with a paper knife he had found on the desk and fished out the package with magic sand, "of course."

Emma ran up to the display case, "Hook, the sand?"

"Got it", he answered and Emma destroyed its glass with a chair. It was noisy, but it worked. She fished out the cloak carefully avoiding the peaces of glass on the floor and sticking the wooden frame to give it to Lotte, "put this on and take this."

She threw the nut she had received from Nova at her, "point it at everything you want to take a long."

Lotte stared at the nut and let the cloak fall to the ground. As she held the nut away from her, a bright light appeared and the cloak was gone. She stared at the nut with her mouth opened.

Emma swirled around to Hook who waited impatiently for them, "am I right if I believe that I won't need this dress anymore?"

The noise from below died slowly died out. But the noise outside the castle grew louder. Therefore, the fight had been transferred outside. That was good for them, since nobody would care for them, now.

Hook, who had noticed it, too, leaned at a sideboard, his arms crossed in front of his chest, the package with the sand hanging from his belt. He watched her carefully and frowned. His eyes wandered from her décolleté from where she had gotten the nut, to Lotte, who used it to collect the dresses now.

She waited for his answer fully aware of the fact, that he distrusted her just as he had done it the entire time during the past days. Gone were the easy atmosphere and the charming companion on this journey who she had met and interacted with during the past hour. Somehow, it was sad, but she didn't have the time to call him out on it.

"Yes", he finally answered but the mood in his eyes resonated in his voice.

"Great", she ignored him and tried to shove off the skirt and the farthingale because they would just get in her way but they were bound up in her back and she couldn't loosen the lines.

Lotte walked up to her staring at the nut in her hand, "what is this?"

"A present", Emma answered shortly, while Hook walked up to the door, "what no? We can't stay here forever and I doubt they will just let us through down there."

Lotte helped her with the lines and soon the skirt was lying in a circle around her feet. She stepped out of it dressed in her brown trousers, which she had put on secretly when Doris had been busy with Hook. She ignored Lotte's stare.

Hook stared at her for a short second before he shook his hand and held up the sand, "with this we don't need to worry about anything, Love."

He opened the door.

Lotte's face turned pale and Emma couldn't help but stare at the hallway outside, "did you tell them, too?"

Down the hallway, several guards rushed towards them. There were about ten of them harmed with swords and protected by armors. They tried to creep up to them, but as soon as they noticed that they had caught them, they rushed up to them.

Hook threw the door shut and ran up to the sideboard with Emma on his heels, "forgot about that."

"Obviously. And what now", she asked and helped him to place the furniture in front of the door as Lotte had tried with the desk before. The door shook as soon as they stepped away from it.

"We could pretend to threaten Lotte. Do you have a weapon?"

Emma stared at him in disbelieve, "of course not."

"But at least your trousers are here", he growled angrily and searched the room for something he could use as a weapon in a hurry.

"Don't blame me. It wasn't my ridiculous plan that got us here", she growled back and ran up to Lotte to help her out of the skirt and the farthingale, first.

"What are you doing", Lotte asked shocked.

"You can't run through the forest in this. If we ever reach it as our grand leader has planned us to, that is of course", Emma said sarcastically through the noise at the door, where the guards still tried to break through.

"I heard that, Love", he stated as he looked out of the windows and grinned, "we could climb down here."

Lotte looked down on herself, "with this?"

"Not if I can finally get you out of it", Emma growled but didn't manage to open the strings.

"Use this", Hook threw the paper cutter at her and opened the window.

Emma caught it, "that helps."

She cut the strings and helped Lotte to step out of her skirt, dressed in the upper part of her dress and the long undergarments, Emma had refused to wear. The noise in front of the door became louder while they ran up to Hook and the window. They helped Lotte through the window and waited until she was deep enough for the next to climb outside.

"Careful, I'm not certain the rose tendrils will carry us", Hook warned her then she was gone. He turned around to Emma as the door shook heavily underneath the guards' attempts to get in. No matter what they would do, they needed to be fast, since the door wouldn't last for long anymore.

Hook took the paper cutter from her and looked at her before he focused on the door. Within seconds, all of her evil thoughts were back. Was this it now? Was this the moment he would betray her? Would the paper cutter be sharp enough to even hurt her? Did he want to hurt and leave her here with the guards?

Emma stared at him insecure of what she would do and of what she should do while the first crack appeared in the door. A part of her still wanted to trust him.

When he stood right in front of her, he placed his wooden hand in her back and pulled her closer until her chest hit his, before he reached behind her with the knife in his other and. Emma placed her fingers in his neck just to make sure that she would have a chance against him, pretending to make space for him, as there was a reaping sound.

"I would have preferred to do this in another situation", he whispered in her ear as the robe she wore above her corsage gave in and her arms were free to move, "climbing will be easier like this."

"Thanks", she stepped back and the robe fell to the ground, "but what makes you believe I would have let you do that in another situation?"

Hook ignored her but looked at the legs while she checked on the Princess, "weren't you supposed to wear those white pants like Lotte?"

Emma climbed out of the window just as another peace broke off the door. She didn't answer him, "hurry up."

She climbed to the side, so he could follow her faster as the sound of breaking wood reached their ears. The furniture was shoved aside.

The roses' thorns scratched their arms and faces and sometimes even stuck in their hands when they grabbed plants instead of the wooden ladder underneath it. But the plants were great to hide as the guards looked down through the window in the dark of the night and thanks to the wires, Hook was able to climb at all, since he had to hang his arm into them. The noise from above revealed to them, that the guards were searching the room and falling objects that rained down on them told them, that they had been discovered despite the plants' protection. Those objects didn't hit them, thanks to the darkness and the distance they had already brought between them and the windows. The air was filled with the smell of smoke, so something had to be burning behind or in front of the castle somewhere inside its walls.

"Remind me, to never attend a ball with you again", Emma grunted as she landed on both of her feet and looked down on her dirty and bloody hands.

Hook landed not as gently as she did on the ground. He fell on his butt and held his left arm close to his chest as if it was hurting badly. He was sweaty and grunted a lot, "where is Lotte?"

Emma stared at him, "are you alright?"

"Don't care about me. Where is she?"

"I'm here", the princess said out of the dark and pulled back the hat of the fur-cloak she had put on. So she had found out how to use Nova's nut.

"That hurts", Hook said through gritted teeth as he stood up and loosened his left arm a little.

"You're arm", Emma asked concerned.

"No", he grinned but his breath was still heavily, "that you don't want to attend a ball with me again. I thought you liked dancing with me." He chuckled but he couldn't fool Emma. She knew he was just trying to cover up his pain and his anger towards her. Instead of calling him out on it, she grabbed his right hand and pulled him along, "come on. We need to get away from here."

"The sand, do you have it", Lotte asked and followed them into the forest.

"I even brought that paper cutter", Hook answered and pointed at his belt, where it was sticking.

"Where is Kevin", Lotte asked and ran in front of him to stop them. The way she looked at him, Emma suspected that he had hidden a part of his plan from both of them. As he noticed her expression, he said slowly, "I don't know."

"What?"

Emma walked up to her and pulled her along, "we don't have time for this now. He's fine for sure."

"How can you know that?"

"He is with Crouch and Blake, that's why", Hook stated and avoided Emma's judging eyes on purpose.

* * *

"You don't understand. I can't let her go", she insisted and stared at her, "it's too dangerous for her and we need to pay Hook with her. We've made a deal."

"You mean, you've made a deal. I just do not understand you, Regina. This is trafficking and nothing else. How can you support something like that? Besides that it wouldn't be the first time you don't keep your word, remember?"

"I just want to protect her."

"No, you want to use her", Snow White corrected her, "you can't fool me, Regina. I've seen the state she is in. That's not how you protect someone. Especially not if you want to sell her to pirates."

Regina sighed and placed her hands on the rail of her balcony. Her fingertips pressed into the cold stone until they hurt, but she didn't stop. The pain was distracting her somehow and that was good. She didn't want to freak out after all, "what you saw was nothing but an illusion. I placed a spell on the cell to keep my guards away from her."

Snow White crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her voice was filled with skepticism, "and who have you protected her from? The guards can't be the problem since you confront her with them through keeping her hostage."

"She is not a hostage."

"But she is locked up."

"To protect her."

"Of whom? Would you finally tell me?"

"My mother", Regina said darkly and stared into the night, "she would have loved to use her and I couldn't allow that to happen. I couldn't allow that she would find out about her."

"But why her", Snow asked confused and walked up to her, "Belle is just an ordinary woman. What use could your mother have had of using her? What for? And why can't you let her go now? Your mother is gone, isn't she? So she can't be a danger for Belle anymore."

Regina sighed deeply, "I can't let her go and I won't no matter what you say."

"But…"

"Charming is back", Regina disturbed her before their discussion could turn into an argument. In the current situation, it would be bad to fight each other. They needed to work together so nobody would make use of their fight to play them out against each other. They couldn't risk Henry for a stupid argument about a woman nobody had cared for so far. Well, nobody except for Henry that was.

"If you think this is over now, then you're highly mistaken", Snow stated like a mother scolding her child.

Regina sighed, "but for now it is. Don't you want to tell him the good news?"

Snow White frowned and followed her back inside, "what news?"

Regina stopped and looked at her annoyed, "come on. Don't think I didn't notice. You're hungry all the time and you eat the strangest things together, your body aches especially if you have to climb stairs, you're tired fast and somehow you even look different."

"I look different?"

Regina turned her back on her again. She didn't like to tell her, but now that she had asked, "you're shining somehow."

"What?"

She snorted and turned around to her again. She walked up to her and stared straight into her eyes, "don't act dump. We both know that you're pregnant again."

Snow White's reaction made clear that she hadn't known it. Maybe she had been too caught up in her worries for Henry and her grief of losing him to notice the signs. Her face turned pale and her eyes widened in surprise. She looked as if she was shocked and was frozen on the spot. For a long moment, she didn't even blink. When her eyes went dry and she had to do it, she swallowed hard and looked down on her belly. She breathed heavily and placed both of her hands on it as if she had lost and found it just now. She frowned as if she had to understand this first. When she looked up her rigidity resolved and her eyes almost sparkled happily.

The door behind Regina opened and Charming stormed inside. He barely greeted her before he pulled his wife into a tight hug. Snow smiled warmly at him and tears appeared in her eyes.

Regina didn't want to watch this. She left the room and slowly walked down the hall that lead to her apple tree. When she had been with Daniel, she had dreamed of having a family with him, too. She had imagined how she would tell him the good news. How happy he would be. How his eyes would shine. How he would listen at her belly waiting for a sound coming from their baby or a kick from inside. And she had imagined how they would have raised their children together. She had imagined how they would have taught them horseback riding and to stay true to themselves. She had imagined what it would be like when they would sit outside, watching the sunset together while their children would be sleeping inside. But her mother had taken all that away from her. Cora had destroyed it and there was no way to get it back. She wouldn't get another chance. Daniel was dead. Her mother was gone. She was all that was left.

Instead, she had to watch Snow White living her dreams. It wasn't easy. It actually hurt quite a lot. Having Snow around and seeing all her happiness and luck she could hardly feel at home anymore. Sure, Snow hadn't been that lucky with her children and in her daughter's case it had been her fault, she was jealous anyway. Snow wasn't alone. She had Charming.

Regina missed Henry in this moment even more than ever before. The boy had always been able to make her forget about those feelings without even noticing it. He had always made her feel like a mother around him, because he had been someone she could care for and treat well in a world where she had nothing. Maybe it had been wrong to think and feel about him that way, but she had never treated him bad. For him she had always been the step-grandmother he could run to and for some reason she had been fine with it, even though he was Snow's son.

"So this is the most famous apple tree in the entire Enchanted Forest, huh", someone suddenly said from behind her. She knew that voice quite well even though she hadn't known the person it belonged to for a very long time yet. Still she was glad to hear it. She didn't need to look at him to know that he was approaching her even though his steps were very silent. It was more like she just knew what he would do like they had known each other their entire lives and she had watched him doing it a thousand times before. Maybe Robin would be able to distract her before she would do something stupid like eating one of her own poisoned apples to get rid of her sorrows.

"I hope you're not hungry. In that case I'd advice you to stay away from it", she said and smiled as she heard him chuckle.

"Are you worried you could have to kiss me awake?"

She wanted to tell him, that it wouldn't work anyway but thinking of the tattoo on his wrist the words died on her tongue. She didn't know what to say now. On one hand, she knew that he was supposed to be her true love so it could be possible that it would work one day, but on the other hand, he didn't know about their connection, if it really was true and she didn't want to be the one to inform him.

"I accidentally overheard your argument with Snow White."

"Accidentally? I see", Regina said sarcastically and focused on the tree in front of her because she wasn't ready to face him yet. She didn't want to hear him attack her for her decisions like everyone else would do. She just knew she was right and that had nothing to do with taking vengeance or her own survival. It wasn't about threatening anybody anymore. Henry had changed that. He had been able to see through her and to notice the good in her.

"Who is that woman", he finally asked curiously just as she had expected him to, "what has she done to you? Why are you doing this to her?"

Regina sighed heavily, "she…", she stopped insecure if she should tell him. But something was telling her that she had to or she couldn't find out if he would understand it. And she noticed that she was very curious of what he would say. She couldn't deny her past. It was part of her and she had to accept it just like everyone else who wanted to be close to her had to.

"Everything I know about magic I learned from Rumpelstiltskin, but someday he changed. He started to interfere in my plans of killing Snow and helped her to get together with Charming despite all the obstacles that got in their way mostly because of me."

"Are we talking about the same man", Robin asked confused and surprised to hear that.

She smiled, "of course he had already been following his own plans. Well, one day I found his weakness. It was that woman I'm holding captive now."

"Wait… B-Belle?"

She stared at him, "you know her?"

"Later", he shrugged curious for her story.

Regina suddenly had a bad feeling. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell him about it. There had been a time in which she had been different from now. A time in which she had made decisions and done things that had been wrong and which she would regret for the rest of her life. Fine, maybe not all of them but some she definitely did regret. They had been wrong and if she would tell him now one of those decisions might already be haunting her.

If Robin knew Belle and it definitely looked like that, then he would condemn her for it no matter what she would explain to him. All he would see was Belle and how she had mistreated her. It was true that she had done something wrong with her and it was true that she hadn't done anything to release her. However, it was also a fact that she had had her reasons for it. She hadn't held captive Belle for such a long time out of fun or pleasure. There had been a time she would have loved to release her again. If he really knew her, Robin wouldn't care for those reasons anymore and she would lose him.

She frowned. Lose him? She didn't have him. They were nothing but friends, which was already more than she would have every expected. Right. He was her only friend and that was what made it so hard to tell him the truth.

Regina looked at him and regretted that she had started to tell him at all, as she noticed the curiosity in his eyes. But now it was too late to stop. She had started this story and now she had to finish it for him and for herself. If she wouldn't stay true to her past, she would never change anything about her life as Henry had whished her to.

"I noticed that she had fallen in love with him, so I told her she should try true love's kiss to free him from his curse. He would have stopped to be the Dark One and I would have lost an opponent in my fight with Snow White.

Regina sighed and avoided to look at him, "it didn't work and he threw her out cowardly as he usually is."

Robin watched her carefully as he followed her to sit on a bench in front of her apple tree. She didn't want to put on an act, so she didn't pretend that she regretted this or felt sorry for Belle. But she wasn't happy about it either. She told her story just the way it was and she was fine with it.

"In short, I convinced him that she was dead and locked her up in Snow White's old bedroom that I had turned into a cell to make sure they wouldn't meet again."

"For how long", Robin asked without looking at her. So he already hated her, didn't he? She felt bad even though she couldn't really understand why. Sure, she had started to trust him as much as she had entrusted her own heart to him, but that she had just done because of his tattoo.

"I don't know", she answered his question honestly. It had happened sometime before she had screwed up her dark curse twenty-eight years ago and she hadn't counted the days or months.

"Why don't you just let her go", his voice sounded strange but she knew why and she could understand his reaction.

"When I brought Henry here the first time", Regina said slowly and ignored his confused expression and his question, "I fell for him the moment I saw his eyes. He was just a small boy and he had already beaten me with one glance. He stayed at this place believing it was just a trip for a whole year but I couldn't treat him like a prisoner just like I hadn't been able to get rid of him. I had planned to do so in the first place, but I couldn't. When I looked into his eyes, I had hope for myself. He seemed to believe in me despite everything I had done. Maybe that was just because he didn't know anything about it and if he knew something he couldn't understand it."

"Didn't he ask for his parents? How old was he", Robin asked weather deciding to wait and listen to where this would lead them or just curious enough so he couldn't stop himself to ask. She didn't know.

"Of course he did", Regina said, "and I believe he perfectly looked through my lies of visiting his step-grandmother for a year. I don't know why he stayed instead of trying to escape. But with six years he didn't really have a choice, did he?

In any case, he found Snow White's old bedroom one day. Without me noticing it, he started to talk with Belle every time he came to visit her and they became friends. So when I noticed it he almost begged me to be nice to her and to treat her well."

"So that's what you understand in treating someone well? You lock them up", Robin asked confused. If she wasn't mistaken, then he was disgusted of her. It hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Sure, it wasn't the right thing to do towards someone else, but locking Belle up in her castle she had done for a reason that hadn't had anything to do with vengeance on Rumpelstiltskin. At least not since she had met Henry.

She knew that it had been wrong to kidnap Henry back then and she had done everything to erase this mistake. She knew that a parent would never understand it and if she was honest she couldn't understand it herself anymore. Robin was a father, so maybe he hated her for that, too.

When she had heard that Snow White had been pregnant again, she had feared her second child could take the place of her first daughter and break her curse. She had wanted to hurt Snow White because she had discovered that nothing hurt her more than to search and miss her child. Today she hated herself for it and it had taken her years to convince Snow White and Charming that she had changed. If Henry wouldn't have helped her, she might have never convinced them.

"No", she answered his questions and stood up, "no, I don't. I let her go even though I knew Rumpelstiltskin would come back on me for this. But she stumbled into my mother. Right the moment she was about to leave this castle, my dear mother had to come to visit me after eight years of nothing."

Robin stared at her, "so?"

She sighed and sank back on the bank, "my mother has always been hungry for power. She even did everything so I would end up to be King Leopold's wife no matter what I wanted or how I felt. Because turning me into a Queen she could control, would have given her more power than her magic already did."

"So", he repeated and looked at her in confusion. He still couldn't see the connection between all this and Belle's imprisonment.

"So when she ran into Belle, she tried to use her against me", Regina explained, "she knew that I had hold her captive for years and believed her to be important to me somehow, because I let her free now. And she had spied on me long enough to know about Henry. So she reaped out her heart and send her to get him. Henry didn't notice any of this when he followed her. It was an accident they ran into me as they were about to leave the castle."

"What happened then", Robin asked shocked of what she had just told him.

Regina sighed, "I send Henry back to Snow White and Charming so my mother would believe he wasn't important to me anymore and stole Belle's heart back from her as she showed up at my castle. I had been more than lucky and somehow she simply disappeared instead of fighting me back. Later on I had to find out that she had killed a friend of mine whom I had wronged."

"What then", Robin asked and this time his voice was softer.

Regina rolled her eyes, "I gave Bell her heart back and locked her up again to protect her. Her room isn't a cell anymore. I turned it into a bedroom. And Belle is fine there…"

"To protect her?"

"Cora had found out about her true identity and her connection to Rumpelstiltskin. She would have used her to control the Dark One and nobody of us would have needed that."

Robin slowly stood up and looked at her in confusion, "Why? How?"

"Rumpelstiltskin's power comes from a dagger that cursed him once", she explained, "it's the reason he is the Dark One. As long as he has the dagger himself, he can do what he wants to, but as soon as someone else gets a hold on it, he has to obey that person's whishes. Cora knew that and she wanted to threaten him to give this dagger to her by threatening Belle's life."

"I see", he said slowly but his expression didn't change. He was still confused. Regina couldn't blame him for that. It was a lot to understand in a short time and the past often was the most difficult field of information. She continued anyway, "but controlling him wouldn't have been enough for her. I'm certain one day she would have killed him to become the Dark One herself."

Robin walked up and down in front of her, before he stopped and focused on her again, "but Cora is gone now. Belle isn't in danger anymore."

She stood up and sighed, "as long as she is important to him, she will always be in danger, Robin. And we don't even know who or why Henry has been taken yet. It could be possible that we should just be distracted from something. Besides that, Rumpelstiltskin would kill me as soon as he would see her and right now, I just don't have the time and energy to deal with him. I have to focus on Henry."

"So you keep her here out of a guess and of fear?"

"Yes", Regina admitted silently, "I promised Henry that I would take care of her and I don't want to take the risk of failing in it. She is fine. She is healthy and she can read her beloved books."

"But she isn't free, is she", he pointed out accusingly, "you said that when you send Cora to Wonderland you were finally free. Don't you think Belle wants the same?"

Robin looked at her for a long moment like he was disappointed before he simply left her alone without saying anything more. He hadn't told her to let Belle go like Snow had demanded it but he had done something worse. He had forced her to think about what she was doing and he had stimulated her conscience to see everything from a changed perspective.

The entire time she had been able to stop herself from thinking about it by pretending to do the right thing and that locking her up was just her way to protect her. Every time she would have thought of Belle, which had happened a lot especially since Henry was gone, she would have told herself that Belle was fine and didn't need anything besides what she could give to her, which was almost everything.

But now she had to realize that all that wasn't enough. It wasn't what made her happy and she had broken her promise to Henry by refusing the one thing Belle actually always wanted to have, her freedom.

The worst about this was that she had been in the same position when her mother had forced her to become the Queen and still she had done it.

Regina stood up and looked at her apple tree in sorrow. In the end she was just like her mother, wasn't she? Everything she had done ever since she had lost Daniel she had done out of hunger for revenge on the entire world. She had attacked people, had locked them up. She had killed and punished them and she had destroyed their lives, their families and their loves. Just like her mother had destroyed her life for power.

The worst thing was that she couldn't change anything about it now, even though she really wanted to. Cora was gone and there was nothing to fear for Belle anymore or at least she hoped so. But Rumpelstiltskin was still there and he would hate her for what she had done to them. He would hunt for her life and he would kill her.

Regina walked back inside ignoring Snow and Charming and their mixed feelings of being sad about Henry and more than happy about their third child at the same time.

Rumpelstiltskin would hate her even more and he would try to take advantage of her situation with Henry. She couldn't allow that. If it had just been about her own life, it wouldn't have been a problem. She would have managed to protect herself against him somehow and she would do it in the future. But as long as Henry was gone, she couldn't risk to be distracted by him.

When she reached the door that lead to Belle's room, Robin was already waiting for her. He had argued with the guards she had placed in front of the room and he obviously had knocked them out in the end. As he noticed her climbing up the last stairs up to her, he smiled, "I knew you'd do it."

Regina ignored him. She was too nervous to pay any attention to him. He wouldn't like her decision. Belle would hate her and even though she didn't care about that, she was worried she was making a wrong decision. After all Belle was a valuable tool against the Dark One and she wouldn't be the only one to notice that. Hook had noticed that, too, or he wouldn't have demanded to get her in return for Henry.

She opened the door and the room that had appeared to be wet and cold turned out to be warm, light and comfortable. There was a small bed, a sitting corner, a fireplace and loads of books placed in shelves all around the room. Belle was sitting in an armchair and looked at her in a rebellious way. She reminded her of herself whenever Cora had shown up in her room to convince her she was doing the best for her.

"You are free to leave this room", Regina said and stepped aside to underline her words.

"What does that mean", Belle asked suspiciously and didn't move at all, even though she had expected her to run outside as soon as she would hear this. She knew that if Cora would have offered this to her all those years ago, she wouldn't have hesitated for even a second. She would have run away right away afraid her mother could change her mind again.

"That means you can go", she answered her a little annoyed and hoped she wouldn't deepen this subject now. She didn't want to discuss all this now. It would be just fine with her, if she wouldn't need to explain, that Belle couldn't leave this castle.

"The last time you said that, you locked me up again", Belle said accusingly, "my heart was reaped out and you locked me up again."

Regina bit down some rude things she wanted to say and resisted the urge to simply slam the door in front of her nose, "I didn't take your heart. I was the one who gave it back to you."

"But your mother did."

"And I had nothing to do with it", Regina defended herself, "do you want to leave now or not?"

Belle stood up and approached her looking argumentative into her eyes, "why now?"

"Because my mother is gone", Regina said and stepped back. She didn't want to endure this any longer. She just wanted to put an end to this.

Before she could throw her out magically, Robin entered the room and smiled at Belle, "do you want to stay here for the rest of your life or what are you waiting for?"

"Robin", Belle asked surprised and hugged him. That Regina was there, too, seemed to be totally forgotten. She left them alone ignoring the strange feeling that sneaked into her heart as she watched them interacting like old friends. There was no reason to feel like that. It was not like there had been anything between Robin and her, was it?

As she was down the stairs, she stopped and looked out of a window. She held out her hand, closed her eyes and concentrated on the spot deep inside her, where she always reached if she wanted to do magic. It warmed up, enlightened her from inside until it filled her up and burst out of her hand. She opened her eyes and watched a dark light emitting from her palm, floating through the window and disappearing in the air somewhere around the castle. At least she had made sure that Belle wouldn't be able to leave the castle now. She didn't even want to think of the trouble she would get herself into through this. But it was her only choice.


	15. Distrust

14\. Distrust

They had stopped somewhere in the middle of the forest long after they had left King Klaus' realm behind. Lotte was lying under an oak tree and cried herself into sleep. She tried to hide it, but not even the sound of the floating river could cover her sobs completely. Only the cloak of different fur protected her from the freezing cold of the night, since she still was not wearing more than the white and long undergarment and the thin top of her dress. They did not dare to make a fire, because as keen on Lotte as King Klaus had proofed to be this evening, they could not count on his respects for rules and the borders of his realm to be enough to stop him. Actually, it was more likely that he would attack them anyway.

Emma sighed and stood up. Her pants kept her legs warm but her shoes and the corsage, which was everything that was left of her dress, did not protect her form the cold at all. She was freezing and moving was all she could do about it. In their current situation, she could not leave Lotte alone, so she wandered around close to her and waited for Hook to return. When Lotte had totally freaked out because she was so worried about Prince Kevin, he had agreed to look around just in case he would already be searching for them. Emma actually believed that he had just wanted to get away from the princess before he might kill her. Of course, he had taken along the paper cutter just in case he would run into King Klaus' guards. Too bad, that it was their only weapon.

Emma had no idea where her worries and dark thoughts had come from before, but it still troubled her. She was confused not just because she did not know if she should trust him or if she was just scared of him and maybe even herself in terms of trust, but because she would have never believed that, a simple memory could have such an impact on her. Sure, she had known that she was not through with her past, nonetheless she had underestimated the importance it still had for her.

Why else would she suddenly not just remember that she had been betrayed, but project it on her current partnership with Hook, who had nothing to do with it? There certainly were similarities between Neal and him and her interactions with both of them, but those men were different people and so was her relationship to each of them. Yet she had just reacted and had placed her hand at a strategic useful spot without even thinking about it, when Hook had cut her out of her robe. It was ridiculous and insane and yet she was shaken to the core. She could have knocked him out by pressing the reflex point in his neck as she had done it before. In that case, he would have died in that room, because there was no way, he would have made it out before the guards would have broken through the barricaded door.

Lotte's sobbing stopped and everything was silent except for the sound of her steps and the animals moving through the forest around them from time to time.

Regardless of if Hook would find the Prince or not, they would need to head away from the river the next day, if they wanted to bring Lotte to a town or a village. Which meant they would need to give up on the water from this river, too. They did not have anything to carry water with them. It would be difficult.

Bushes rustled close to them and Emma turned on her heels in alarm. It was Hook and he was alone. His arm seemed to be better after cleaning the wounds, which he had received from the thorns, in the river and relaxing the muscles of it. However, his mood was worse than before when he had asked Lotte to stop asking about Kevin for the fourth time. Whatever had happened to him, it was not something good.

Emma did not dare to ask about the prince now. She would wait until tomorrow when they would have slept and his mood would be better. She did not want to fight with him, "you should sleep."

"What about you", he asked and watched her carefully. There was something in his voice that seemed to be more than anger, but she could not tell what it was. His glance on the other hand revealed his distrust. Therefore, they would fight tonight. It was almost sad and already exhausting to realize it.

"I'll stay up and watch out", she answered hoping to do him a favor with it and absentmindedly rubbed her arms a little to drive out the coldness.

Hook walked up to her taking off his jacket to hold it out to her, "take it. I should stay up." The gesture could have been nice, if he would have held it out to her so she would have been able to simple slip into it instead of folding it together and giving it to her like a butter knife. But with the mood he was currently in there was nothing that actually could be nice about him.

"Why?"

"Because you are freezing and you've worked more than me during the past few days. You need sleep."

Nonetheless, Emma took the jacket thankfully and put it on, while he watched her seriously. It was still warm from his body and drove out her goose pimples immediately, "that was nothing. I can stay up."

"Then why don't we stay up both and you answer me some questions?"

There it was, "what questions?"

Hook came closer but unlike during the ball this time there was nothing charmingly or sexy about. However, she did not feel threatened so she did not back away, "you already know them. Which one do you want me to repeat?"

Emma frowned, "all of them."

"Are you going to answer them", he asked as if he did not believe that she would. But she also sensed the hope that she would act against his expectations and finally answer his questions in his question.

"Actually I have some questions, too", she stated and avoided an answer, what annoyed him even more. How could she agree to answer his questions, if she did not know them? At least she did not know all of them.

He did not react but simply stared at her to make clear that he was still waiting for an answer and that he would not let this slide this time. She sighed, "what are those questions?"

Frustration appeared in his eyes and mixed with his anger, because he did not get what he wanted, "who were you talking with at Doris' today and in my quarters yesterday?" He paused for a short moment that was not long enough for her to answer before he asked his other questions as if he shot bulletins into the sky, "which secrets do you share with Base. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"What", she disturbed him in disbelieve.

"Why else would you guys suddenly get along so well", he answered to her reaction, "why else would you shut me out?"

"I shut you out", Emma repeated angrily herself now, "who didn't tell me what tonight would be like until we met Doris and there was no other choice but to tell me, anymore? And who kept the entire plan starting with our arrival to this point secret from me? And there were other times when you hide plans from me even though we agreed on sharing these information with each other."

"Are you trying to create a riot so you can get rid of me? Do you want the Jolly Roger that much to hunt down Blackbeard? Or are you just madly trying to help Base to get rid of me so he can take my place?"

"I can't believe you are asking that", Emma said surprised that he actually thought like this. Maybe she was even a little hurt, even though she knew that she had no right to feel that way, "is that the reason you've been acting like this lately? Is that the reason you don't trust me anymore?"

"I don't trust you? You never gave me reason to do it", he growled, "you don't trust me and now you blame me for not trusting you? How could I?"

Emma stared at him as if he had slapped her. Somewhere far behind this shock she knew that there had been times she had given him reason to do it. But the simple fact that her own distrust towards created his distrust towards her was shocking, "so it's all my fault?"

He just stared at her angrily.

Anger boiled in her blood and she would have loved to hit him, "what is your connection to graham? Did you ever plan for Prince Kevin to escape in the first place? Would you have left Lotte behind regardless of our agreement with Doris? Where are you planning to go with that bean? What do you want with that sand? What is your true connection to Blackbeard? What did you have to do with Cora and Regina? Why would they be as angry with you as they apparently are? What is your connection to Graham? Why don't you trust Base of all people you could distrust?"

"The others aren't keeping secrets from me", he answered the last question before she could continue.

"Did Smee tell you that?"

Hook stared at her. He frowned and was too surprised of the strange sound of her voice and this sudden turn of their conversation. Confusion shone through his eyes and expanded on her entire expression, "what does Smee have to do with this now?"

She snorted and looked to the side. That had been a mistake. She should not have said this. After a short moment of silence she stated almost resigned, "I don't get your problem."

He focused on her for without any reaction at first. Then he stepped forward, invading her personal space as if it did not exist in an almost threatening way, which did not work on her. He was as close to her now that she was able to see the structures of his pupils. He was still angry but as he spoke he tried to stay calm, "when we escaped you placed your hand in my neck, Love. I am not stupid. I know you actually considered to press some spots and leave me behind. The question is just did you do that because you just distrust me or because it was part of a plan to get rid of me?"

Emma stared at him in shock. This had been exactly what she had been afraid of. He had thrown her own insecurity at her and there was nothing she could answer. She did not know the answer. All she had was an assumption for her reasons behind it and she did not want to share it with him. He should not know about Neal. It was too personal even though it had happened all those years ago. He should not be warned if he really wanted to betray her. She did not want to reveal this weakness to him. For a long moment, she could not decide if she should laugh about it or explode. So he had noticed her reaction, so what? Taking a deep breath, she decided to explode, "how could I trust you if you never answer all those questions? How shall I trust someone who doesn't stay true to his word?"

"I do what?"

"You wanted to betray Doris", she yelled back, "and you fooled Lotte and Kevin. So what should be any different about me? You haven't even asked me about Rumpelstiltskin anymore lately, so how should I know that you even still need our agreement now that Cora is gone? How shall I know that her spell upon you hasn't vanished as well and what tells me that you're not trying to get rid of me?"

They stared at each other without saying anything. It was as if they had let out everything that had bothered and angered them and now they did not have the energy to fight on. It turned out to be difficult to fight each other like this. For her it was almost harder than fighting him physically would have been. The problem was neither of them wanted to give in and make the first move. At least Emma did not know how. They had pulled up a very high and massive wall between them and she did not know how to overcome it.

Somebody sighed and appeared next to them. Lotte looked from one to the other in disbelieve. Her eyes were swollen and she was still dozy. They must have woken her with their screams. She moaned, "it's a miracle we even made it out of my father's office like this. You guys really should work on your trust issues, if you ask me. But not out here or I'll be back home by tomorrow morning. What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you were a team and worked together and now it turns out that you fight each other instead. This is so stupid."

"I don't have trust issues", Hook tried to argue with her now.

However, she ignored him, "maybe, but meeting her distrust with distrust won't take you anywhere." She sighed and moaned again, "how about this? You guys sit down and talk about all that and I go back to sleep, even though I'd love to hear your answers regarding Kevin."

"I can't tell you anything about him", Hook stated honestly, "but I know that he was perfectly aware of the danger he got himself into right from the start, Princess."

Lotte stared at him and swallowed hard before she left them alone again. Suddenly she was strangely closed and Emma was certain that she was crying again. Nevertheless, as she looked at Hook she understood that she would not have time to comfort her now. Even though most of his anger was gone, he was still angry with her and it was written all over his face that he would not avoid this confrontation now that he had started it. He was dying for answers and he knew that she was, too.

Emma sighed and shook her head in disbelieve as she recalled everything he had thrown at her just now. She stepped aside and sat on a fallen tree feeling as if she had grown older for ages. Of course, he had a point in most of his arguments, but the conclusions he had jumped to she would have never imagined. On the other hand, hadn't she done the same?

Hook took a seat next to her and seemed just as exhausted. It was as if they were kids who had been caught fighting and hurting each other and had been scolded by their mother. However, Lotte was right. They needed to clear up their misunderstandings and call it a day. The problem was she didn't know how to start.

He had mentioned so much that she did not know what his biggest problem was and how she should solve it. She had a feeling that starting with Base and the traitor on board would be a bad idea because he would not even listen to anything she had to tell him after that anymore and she would not receive any answers.

Emma swallowed hard and decided to start with one of his wrong conclusions, "I'm not interested in your ship, Hook. Sure, it would be easier to find Blackbeard with it, but I would never take it away from you. I can't even steer it."

"And Base", he asked calmly now but avoided to look at her, "he can steer it."

She looked at him for a second before she focused on her hands. She did not know what to say. It would be pointless to tell him the opposite because she had nothing to proof it but her word. He was not relaxed enough to even consider to believe her.

Hook broke the silence, "was he the one you were talking with today?"

"Actually no", she answered slowly. She did not want to reveal her wild card yet, but that feeling was just part of her distrust again. What could he do? Nova was not there most of the time and if she showed up, she always made sure to be invincible if he was around. He could not harm her, could he? Moreover, even if she would show up in front of him, what use would he have of hurting or capturing her? Besides that, he owed her for the repair of the Jolly Roger.

"That was Nova."

Hook's head spun around to her and he stared at her in confusion and surprise, "who?"

"A fairy who has kept following me ever since I noticed your wanted poster", she said, "her biggest whish seems to be to drive me crazy. She wants to help me and turn me into a better person so I can be happy and lucky one day."

She had expected him to laugh, but he simply looked at her seriously. He didn't say anything for a long moment in which he just looked at her as if he was searching for something in her profile. Then he finally broke the silence, "you don't seem to like that idea."

Emma met his eyes for a second before she changed the subject, "she was with me when we made our deal and informed me about Rumpelstiltskin and your conversation with Regina. At least a little. And she repaired the Jolly Roger after the kraken attack."

"What", he stared at her in surprise once again. Had he really believed the ship's magic would have done it? Sometimes he was naïve like a child. But maybe that was just a problem of pirates in general…

"And she promised to help Doris today when you noticed her", she continued, "I'm certain she will be a more thankful person than me."

Hook still stared at her and she was not certain that he had even listened to her until he detected, "you don't believe you deserve her help, do you?"

"The nut I gave to Lotte earlier is from her, too", Emma ignored his question, "she gave it to me in your quarters yesterday."

Suddenly he did not even seem to be interested in it anymore, even though he had made such a fuss about it before. Rather he wanted to talk about her personal problems, which made her nervous and feel uncomfortable, "why do you think so?"

"Do we really have to talk about that?"

"I'm curious", he pointed out, "and it seems to be a problem for you. Besides that who knows if I'll ever have a chance to talk about this with you again."

What? Why? Because he would part from her now or because he didn't believe they would be as open to each other as they were now? Emma sighed, "I'm a thief, a bounty hunter, lately I have been a pirate, acted like slut to play a fool and now I'm even some kind of strange kidnapper. How could I possibly deserve her help? Not even the Blue Fairy believed it and that was before I met you and before I could so many titles in addition to what I was."

"You're definitely not a slut."

She almost smiled, "I know."

"If the Blue Fairy relies on labels like "thief" or "kidnapper" then she doesn't know what she is doing", he said seriously, "the point is those labels are just superficial but they don't define who you are and what you are like."

For a moment, Emma looked at him speechless. He understood it as a sigh to continue, "what you decide and how you make those decisions is what defines you. Take me for an example. I hunted for my revenge for around three-hundred years and I did everything to achieve it. I cheated, I lied, I stole", he paused, "I killed and in the end I even gave up myself and worked for Cora because I wanted to stay alive so badly. Of course, that was just because I wanted to achieve my vengeance. I even hit a woman because she wasn't of help for me anymore and I might have killed her, if I wouldn't have been stopped. But those were my decisions. It was the path I chose and I never stopped to make choices like that. To be honest they became worse and worse."

Emma understood his point of few. He wanted to tell her that she had done mistakes like stealing, but she had changed her life and she had made other choices that had made things tougher for her and that had changed her life. The bounties hadn't been placed on those people for nothing and just because she traveled with pirates and worked with them, she didn't automatically turn into a bad person.

"You decided to help Lotte", she pointed out in an attempt to cheer him up.

Hook chuckled mirthless, "I decided to help myself through helping her. You were right. I would have left her behind if she wouldn't have shown up just as I left behind her Prince. They were just not important enough for my plans and if I'm honest, I consider it even now. Don't turn me into a fallen hero, Swan, I'm not."

And there it was. Immediately the questions if he would have left her behind, too and if he would betray her once, he wouldn't need her anymore were hanging in the air between them. But she didn't ask those questions out loud because she already knew what he would say. And he didn't tell her his answers to her unspoken questions, because he knew that she wouldn't believe him anyway, if he would try to convince her, that he wouldn't.

Hook changed the subject before either of them could change his mind and start the downward spiral their teamwork would take as soon as they would discuss it, "Regina wanted me to kill her mother, but instead I brought her back to the Enchanted Forest. After that, she wanted me to kidnap and kill a toddler, but I didn't. I fooled her and the Dark Curse was damaged. It was too much for her, I assume. That's why Regina was angry with me. I betrayed her several times."

Emma didn't understand the connection between a child and the Dark Curse but he didn't give her the chance to ask about how the life of a child could have any effect to a curse. He continued, "Cora wanted me to find Snow White's daughter", he stopped and looked at her shortly and corrected himself, "you, if you really are her missing daughter. I was supposed to deliver her… you… to he. She wanted to use her as a tool against her daughter. She wanted to present her to her like a present to be allowed back into her life. Or maybe she just wanted to extort Regina with her, I don't know. Anyway, I didn't help her but escaped instead. I was lucky because she didn't notice until the Jolly Roger's magic protected me from her eyes."

It was difficult for her to see herself in the role of this missing princess. She didn't want to even imagine it especially not if Hook told her something like this. Maybe he had noticed it and that had been the reason had stopped to draw a connection to her. Or maybe he just hadn't wanted to imagine it himself, that he might have killed her if he would have made different choice and she really was the daughter of Snow White and Charming. She didn't know and she didn't want to think about it anymore.

"And Graham", Emma asked nervously because it was the information she was interested in the most and she had a feeling that she might not get another opportunity to get them. They had already talked about him before, but already back then, she had had the impression that he kept something secret from her.

Hook sighed, "it wasn't something big. Back then, he was working for Regina. When I had the child, I gave it to Graham and he took care of it, which was my betrayal on her."

Emma frowned. If she wasn't mistaken and she couldn't be certain about it if she talked with him, then he had just lied to her. But why? What was he hiding? Why didn't he tell her the truth about his connection to Graham? And had that child been Snow White's and Charming's daughter?

Before she could ask any of this, he continued to answer her questions from before, "I want to search for the boy in Neverland, Love."

"Where", she asked surprised. She had never heard of that place before.

"It's another world", Hook explained as he guessed her thoughts, "that's why we will need the portal beans. It's the place I spent the past years at and most of the three-hundred years before that."

"Why?"

"Because you don't grow older there and I needed to buy time long before Regina's curse stopped time everywhere. Anyway, I never planned to stay that long but I was kind of stuck there."

"And why that?"

"I didn't have a portal bean and unlike the fist time I had traveled there, I couldn't fly back", he explained and held up the sand that was still hanging from his belt, "but with this we could find a second bean or another way back here."

Emma swallowed hard, "did you tell Smee about your plan by any chance? Or anybody else on board the Jolly Roger?"

Hook frowned and changed his sitting position so he could see her more clearly, "no. But Smee and those men who were there with me back then will know where we're going as soon as they see the beans. They won't like it because we lost many men back then. However, why do you keep asking about Smee?"

She hesitated.

He noticed immediately, "spill it finally."

Emma swallowed hard. So now the time had come and she would tell him about the betrayer and Base. She already hated this but she told him everything. His face turned from white to red and back to white again, but he didn't disturb her. Maybe he just didn't know what to say. His expression turned from shock and fear to disbelieve and anger and when she was done, he was just sitting beside her and stared at his hand the wooden dummy he still wore at his left arm.

"Why didn't you tell me", he growled after a moment, "why didn't Base tell me?"

"We didn't have any proof", Emma said gently and emotionless, "and we didn't want to hint anything that might warn the traitor. As captain, everyone's eyes are set on you. We thought it to be easier and more secure if we would search for evidence secretly and try to find out who it is."

Emma didn't dare to tell him, that they had been scared he wouldn't believe them because he was too trusting from time to time. She did not dare to tell him, that they had tried to protect him from this as if he was an innocent child. Those reasons had been ridiculous and if she remembered her conversations with Base about it, she realized that they had been nothing but stupid excuses. They both had been too scared to tell him about it and that was the only truth.

Hook swallowed hard and held back his anger, "and what about Smee?"

Emma hesitated and bit her bottom lip, "I believe it's him."

Silence. Shock. He didn't even give it a thought but simply stared at her, "he can't even decide what to eat. He never jumps into fights or searches any confrontation. He is too scared to do anything. He prefers to let others step into dangers and loves to stay back and watch. The betrayer must be someone like Base, who is strong in body and mind and who can lie without sweating and blushing."

As bad as he thought about him it was a miracle for Emma that he had chosen him to be the first mate at all.

"And yet Smee didn't anything to help to free Base and you at King Frederic's castle. He just stood in a corner as if he had nothing to do with anything. And he was more than relaxed, Hook. He wanted to leave you behind instead of saving you."

"Smee is a fool and he always chooses his own skin first. He was too scared."

"Which could be the perfect cover for a traitor", Emma stated, "through always acting scared nobody would ever suspect him."

"I don't believe so."

"You do it", she declared, "just now you didn't even give it a thought before you defended him. And so did Base as I told him."

Hook was very silent and sighed. There was something insecure in his eyes that told her that she had finally reached him. He seemed to think about it now. But it was clear that he could not bring himself to believe or even consider it yet. It was just as Base had told her, when she had asked him why he had decided to tell her instead of his captain.

Suddenly he changed the subject, "and that's all that has been going on behind my back?"

Emma frowned, "yes."

"There is nothing more", he asked again, hesitated to continue and avoided to look at her as if he was not certain if he should even finish the sentence, "between Base and you?"

Her mouth went dry and she stared at him in shock. Why would he care about it? Why would he care about her like this? Sure, sometimes there were these little confusing and heart shaking moments between them, like tonight, but she had always believed it to be her problem and not his as well, "no, there is nothing."

She decided to change the subject before this situation could become anymore awkward, "what about Rumpelstiltskin?"

"I was just too busy to search for a way to Neverland. I didn't think of it", he shrugged and stood up. He was miserable about something, but Emma couldn't tell if it was just about everything he had had to take in just now. Before she could ask he asked, "when Nova restored my Jolly Roger did she take anything away? Did she lose anything?"

Emma frowned, "except for the things we lost on sea everything should be back in place. And she definitely wouldn't take anything. What is missing?"

He sighed, "when Milah died I kept a strand of her hair in the chest with all of her belongings in my quarters. The chest was closed even after the kraken attack, but it is gone. The glass bottle with her hair is gone."

"But why would someone steal it", Emma wondered. If the chest had been closed just like before the attack, there was no other conclusion than that it had been stolen. She hesitated and tried to express her thoughts carefully and with empathy, "I do not want to offend, but… Milah's hair has been more of personal value to you, than to actually be precious to anybody else, right?"

He sighed in frustration, "I know. That's my problem, too. I don't understand the reason behind it and that's what stops me from finding the thief, I'm afraid."

For a moment, they were silent, when each of them followed their own thoughts. Emma remembered what he had told her about Milah and his relationship to her. Hadn't he told her that she had been the reason to hunt down Rumpelstiltskin? He had killed her, hadn't he? And Emma hadn't told him about her little conversations with him yet. Maybe stealing Milah's hair had been just another try to force her back to Snow White's and Charming's castle. But to make that work, he would have needed to leave a hint that he had stolen it at least. Not to mention that the hair was useless for her, so why should she search for it to begin with?

She looked at Hook who stared into the forest and knew the reason. He seemed to be miserable and he definitely would follow that strand of hair before he would do anything else. In addition to that, as miserable as he was about it, she might even decide to help him not just because he wouldn't concentrate on her search for the prince and her deal but because she wanted to help him. She would never admit that, but she didn't want to see him like this.

If it was Rumpelstitlskin who had stolen the hair, then he had managed to hit two flies at once because not only she would follow it to get it back for Hook, but also he had hurt his old opponent with it on top.

It was the only explanation she could come up with and it even seemed to make sense even if just half of the reasons were true. Even if it had nothing to do with her but only with Hook it would make sense. And yet she couldn't tell him anything about her theory. How was she supposed to tell someone who had been searching for his enemy for more than hundred years, that his enemy had shown up and she hadn't told him about it? Not to mention that it might have been his best hint on his location for the past centuries.

Hook would kill her as soon as she would say Rumpelstitlskin's name. He would hate her for that. He would stop to search for Prince Henry and put himself in danger through it, because at least one angry witch would want to kill him for breaking their deal. Hook would forget about their deal or he just wouldn't care anymore. He would forget about his present and lose his future, because he would be hunting after ghosts of his past.

She did not want that to happen. And if she thought it about it now, maybe it would be best, if Hook would never ever reach his goal. Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't hesitate to kill him and as good as she knew Hook by now, he would give him every reason to do it slowly and painful. But what would be the worst was, that she was almost certain that he would lose himself in it just like he had lost a part of him, when Milah had died. Sometimes she could see a glimpse of that old Hook, but it was buried as deep underneath the surface of his character that she wondered if it even existed most of the time. She didn't want to see a Hook with even less than that.

Besides that, she really wanted to save that boy. He needed help and she knew what it felt like to need help if you were helpless and alone. She had needed help when she had been a child, too, but she had been left on her own to deal with everything that had been threatened her or hurt her. And she knew just too well, what it had turned her into. She had become a thief and then she had met the wrong people. People who had been nice to her and she had trusted the most. People who had ended up betraying her. Yet, she was still convinced that she had been lucky. Maybe she was crazy, but she definitely didn't want something equal to happen to that boy. His situation was already bad enough, it shouldn't get worse. And if he really was the missing princess - what she still doubted - then Henry was her little brother. What more reason could she need to help him?

What more reason could she need to keep her secrets to herself instead of telling Hook about it?

The captain finally turned around to her. He was exhausted and sighed, "you should rest. I'll stay up."

"The same goes for you", she pointed out but he didn't give her the chance to offer to stay up instead, "go and sleep. I'm alright."

Emma looked at him for a long moment. She already felt guilty for not telling him about the Dark One, but she wouldn't tell him even if he looked as miserable as he did now. Maybe he needed time to think and accept everything she had told him. In that case, it would be best to leave him alone.

She sighed, "wake me if you want some rest."

She walked up to Lotte who was already asleep again and noticed that she was still wearing his jacket as she lay down next to her. It would keep her warm.

* * *

"What is your plan", Lotte asked and looked from one to the other as they stumbled through the forest, "do you even know where we're going?"

They exchanged a short glance before Hook said, "I know it very well. Don't worry."

"But you have no idea what to do now", she stated and pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders. She had to be freezing, since all she was wearing was her underwear and the top of her damaged ball gown. This fur-coat saved her from freezing to death fast, but it wouldn't prevent her from freezing forever. Lotte glanced at Emma, "I thought now that you made peace, you would come up with a plan."

"Don't look at me", she defended herself, "I wanted to use the sand, but Hook thinks differently about that."

"Because we need it for something else."

"Like what for example", Lotte asked curious as if she had every right to know, "ever since you guys made peace you've been even worse than before."

They exchanged a short glance before Hook limited himself to empty his flask and Emma answered, "I don't know what you mean."

"We need to find water", Hook threw in as if he hadn't heard anything of their conversation and continued his way.

The Princess stared at him in disbelieve and screamed out in frustration. Emma and Hook exchanged an amused glance.

"Didn't you have a plan on what to do now", Lotte asked disappointed as she stumbled through the forest after him them. It was about the fifteenth time she had asked this during the past days, "I thought you had a plan to save me."

"Sadly we did", Hook said dryly and glared at the trees in front of them before his glance wandered to the sky that was barely seen through the roof of leafs above them. During the past days, he had requested to simply leave the Lotte behind since they couldn't bind her and shut her up, if they didn't want to carry her.

"What does that mean", she asked suspicious and maybe a little frightened.

Emma sighed like always when they reached this low tempered point in their conversations, "it didn't work out."

Again it was up to her to prevent everything that would be worse than an argument. But lately she had wondered if Hook's idea to simply leave her behind hadn't been better than her decision to take her along. The problem was that they had promised to Doris to save her and they owed it to her. Emma didn't want to break her promise.

"Of course it worked out", Hook insisted and glanced at her, "we did save her and we've gotten what we need. It worked out perfectly."

"And why are we still stuck in this stupid forest?"

Emma and Hook exchanged a glance. He wanted to shut her up badly as much she could read in his eyes, but she wouldn't do it.

"Don't tell me you didn't plan further than getting me out of the palace."

Again neither of them answered and Lotte stopped in shock. In a carefully voice she asked, "and that night you fought? Didn't you come up with something then?"

"We didn't really have the time to discuss it", Emma explained and looked at her feet as she climbed across a fallen tree before she held out a hand to help her, "but we can rely on Hook. Don't worry, he finds a way out of here."

She waited for Lotte to take her hand and ignored Hook's glance that was directed on her as she could feel. Lotte had changed. Now she was nervous and helpless instead of impatient and noisy. It appeared that the idea that they couldn't have planned further than to get her out of her father's grip had never crossed her mind before and now that realization struck, it frightened her.

"Come on", Emma said gently and held out her hand a little more requesting, "we need to continue or we will never leave this forest."

Lotte sighed and stepped forward. She ignored Emma's hand and climbed across the tree on her own. She was as disappointed and desperate as it mirrored in her movements. She didn't say anything as she walked past them and stared to the ground as if she was stuck in some kind of trance.

They watched her until she had passed Hook, before the Captain walked up to Emma with a charmingly smile on his lips, "we can rely on Hook? That's a whole new sound coming from you, Love. How do I deserve that pleasure?"

She ignored him and walked past him. She should have known better. Of course, he would use it against her now.

"Love."

Emma couldn't help but smile but as soon as he caught up to her, she was serious again.

"Love", he said a little more forcefully but still charmingly and maybe even a little amused.

"You're a sailor, Hook. Of course you can get us out of here", she answered and stopped to finally look at him, "that's all to it."

He focused on her a little too tense, "but if you rely on me, you have to trust me."

"Actually, no", she followed Lotte before she would be out of sight, "it just reefers to your abilities. That's not the same."

For a moment, they continued their way in silence. It was obvious that he didn't like her explanation at all, but she didn't care. The awkward silence between them on the other hand made her feel uncomfortable.

"What has happened to you that you're that distrusting", Hook suddenly asked in a very serious but empathetic voice and for a moment, she stopped to breathe.

She didn't want to talk about it, not here, not with him. That Neal had betrayed her was not of his concern and she had no reason to reveal anything to him. She had talked about it to just one person ever and he had been very reliable and he hadn't ever used it against her. Moreover, Emma knew that Graham would never have done it even if he wouldn't have died and left her with that.

"Nothing", she lied and Hook stopped her. He grabbed her upper arm and turned her around to him. He glanced into her eyes but after a moment his frustration vanished and all that was left was disappointment. He let go of her again as if she had disappointed him a lot and swallowed, "what do I have to do so you can finally trust me?"

Emma stared at him in surprise. She wasn't certain that he had wanted her to even hear it, but now that she had, she couldn't just pass by without staring at him. He seemed almost vulnerable and desperate. But why would he feel like that just because she didn't want to share her past with him? She swallowed hard and resisted the urge to touch him, to comfort him. She even swallowed an apology and reminded herself that nothing about this expression had to be true just because she wanted it to be. But did she really want him to be concerned about her?

"We need to get out of this forest. Let's concentrate on that", she heard herself say and pushed that last question into the back of her mind, where she wouldn't have to deal with it.

He stopped her again, "how can I not worry about it, Love?"

She didn't answer but searched for Lotte.

"Just a view days ago you kept very important information from me, because you don't trust me. We even fought about it. It almost influenced our escape when you considered to knock me out", he stated, "so it definitely is important. My life depends on it just as much as yours if we want to continue together."

"If we want to", Emma stared at him, "what does that mean?"

"That we have to trust each other or this teamwork will never function the way it has to", he answered softly but deciding.

He gave her an ultimate. If she wouldn't finally trust him, their ways would part and he would let her down. It wasn't as surprising as it should have been, since she had already expected something like that for the past days. Shocking was just that she didn't like it at all. She felt as if she was about to lose something very important to her, even though she hadn't realized how important it actually was to her until now. On the other hand, it made her quite angry. What did he think? That she could turn it on like the fire in an oil-lamp? She couldn't just decide to trust him. She needed to feel it and just recently it had been quite tough for her, to trust him. He never did what he said he would do and he confused her all the time. He was a pirate and he always followed his own agendas. And lately he acted strange. Why was it so important to him, that she trusted him, all of a sudden? It hadn't been a problem for the past weeks, in which they had traveled together, so why now? What had changed? Why was it so difficult?

Hook frowned and stepped closer. She knew that he was reading her as if she was an open book, as soon as she noticed something like surprise in his eyes. Her anger vanished momentarily. All that was left was her strange feeling of loss.

He placed his hand on her cheek gently and caressed her face with his thumb softly, while she froze. His ocean blue eyes bored into hers very softly and unbound their seemingly endless mesmerizing power. For a moment, she lost herself in them, so she barely noticed how his thumb stopped moving until his eyes wandered to his hand, before he focused on her lips.

Emma's heartbeat sped up and her lips seemed to burn under his eyes. She felt like a deer, that was facing a hunter. Even though she knew, that she should run for her life, she was drawn to him. She didn't know what to do, because she was torn between what her head told her and what her instincts expected her to do. It turned off her thinking and ordered her to simply react, but her fear of being betrayed and of losing again, was just too big, as she could simply give in to it. Her body decided to act on its own. Her mouth went dry and her hands became sweaty. Still, she refused to look at his lips, even though she desired to do it, as if they were a magnet and she had no choice but to be drawn to it. If she would give in to it, he would understand it as the invitation he was secretly longing for now, and she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. She was too scared of what this would mean for their teamwork. She was too scared to be fooled by her own feelings like it had happened before.

He seemed to be just as caught in the moment as she was. His hand slipped to the side of her neck and his fingers tickled on her skin. His warm palm was lying upon her pulse and warmed not just her skin but also her heart.

"There it is", Lotte yelled through the bushes that moved loudly as she ran towards them, "I've found it."

Emma and Hook stepped back as if they had been burned at the same time. They avoided to look at each other, or at least she did. The situation felt quite awkward, but the princess didn't seem to notice anything as she stopped in front of them a little out of breath. Nevertheless, she was quite excited and her lips formed into a huge smile, the first one for the past days of their journey. She tried her best to relax her breathing, but didn't wait until it was back to normal, "there is a town just across that hill. We've made it."

She pointed at Hook who snapped out of his thoughts just now, that she addressed him directly, "you've made it. You've brought us out of this forest for real!"

He didn't answer but glanced shortly and curiously at Emma, who avoided to look at him directly and focused on Lotte instead. He sighed and walked up to the princess slowly, "where is this town? Show it to me."

Emma followed them, but she didn't pay any attention to their conversation nor where they were heading. Her mind was too caught up in other things. For example with the question what would have happened, if Lotte wouldn't have disturbed them. Something like that had happened before, but it had never been as intense as now. She had never been as torn between her instincts to give in to him and run away like a little girl at the same time and the strong little voice, that asked her to remain strong and remember how much was at stake for her and her goals. Her instincts clearly had become much stronger, even though she didn't really know, which one of them yet.

It appeared that those secrets, which they had kept from each other, had been like a wall between them and now that this wall was gone, moments like this happened more and more and her own hesitation vanished little by little.

She had changed. She accepted his help on their way through the forest, chatted and flirted with him, while Lotte didn't understand anything about their conversations and allowed him to touch her longer than necessary each time he took her hand, to help her and held on to her and each time he spread his cloak over her shoulders and his fingers lingered in her neck. When Lotte was asleep or pretended to be sleeping, they sat together and talked about his crew and his ship, her time as bounty hunter or his plans with the traitor - he didn't have any yet, but was certain to come up with something.

For some reason Hook seemed to trust her more than before now and he treated her accordingly to that. He appeared to be more comfortable around her now that he knew that she hadn't betrayed him. And just now, he had proofed that he could read her like a book once again.

She really had a trust issue, but he had misunderstood something about it. She didn't distrust him but herself. And something else troubled her. If it was so easy for him to understand her problem, then how long would it take until he would realize that she was still keeping something from him? How long would she be able to keep her meetings with Rumpelstiltskin from him? Was it really that important and tricky that she couldn't tell him? Or was she just afraid to tell him, that she had stopped him from reaching his goal, while she had met the one person he wanted to kill so badly? What would his reaction be like? For some reason she knew he would be furious with her, because for him it would be very important. Maybe it would even pull up the wall between them again, if she would reveal this secret to him.

Guilt made its way up to her mouth so she could almost taste it on her tongue, which was strange, because it had never been a problem for her before to have directed anger at her or to stay in distance to somebody else.

However, she had a plan. The next time the Dark One would come to visit her, she would try to find out something about his location. Maybe he would reveal something to her, if she would distract him with a conversation about Milah or this Belle, Hook had been talking about. Sadly, he hadn't shown up lately.

"Are you alright", Hook suddenly asked and she snapped out of her thoughts. He wasn't looking at her, but focused on the people around them, which was even more confusing.

Emma looked around just to notice that they had reached a town. It had to be a bigger one, since the ground underneath their feet was of irregular ocher stones and the houses, which had the same color, had stone walls and reached high above their heads. Colorful thin lines were painted at them and created structures underneath the roofs and along the street there were booths with red, black and white scarves, smaller black hats, leather boots, knifes and old and tatty food. Nowhere was a merchant to be seen nor were there any people trying to buy something. The wind rushed through the small lanes between the houses and holes in windows and doors and his sound made this town look like a ghost town. It was creepy.

"Where are we?"

Lotte's eyes stared at the houses in disbelieve and shock, "this must be Rivera Bay. It's the place I wanted to run to, when I tried to escape on my own. It belongs to Kevin's realm." As she mentioned the prince's name, her expression darkened just like always when something reminded her of him and made her worry for his safety.

"Here is something off", Hook put into words what she had realized already. With suspicious eyes, he focused on their surroundings and as Emma followed his glance, she noticed why he had said it. In the shadows of the houses, there were sitting people on the ground. Their black and red dresses and scarves just like their dark pants, white shirts and vests were dusty from the hot wind that swirled the dry dust through the air. Their lips were dry and cracked and they barely managed to open their eyes. Their bodies were thin and some of them had to open their mouths to breathe. They didn't talk but simply sat on the ground, hiding from the sun and focused on nothing as if they were nothing more than dried and empty cases. Their skins were burned by the sun.

"What is going on here", Emma asked shocked by this scenery and stepped closer to the lane that was close by.

"They are dying from thirst", Hook answered in a whisper and looked around as if he was searching for something.

"Seems so."

"But the ocean", Lotte started to say and looked into the direction the sound of water came from. Emma finished the sentence for her, "isn't of any help."

"What", she looked at her in surprise.

"It's the reason sailors who are lost on sea and who have run out of water die of thirst", Emma explained while Hook walked past them down the street. They followed him until they reached a huge place in the middle of the town, from where the harbor was to be seen. In the middle of it, there was huge dwell of darker stone and with a small roof on top. They walked up to it and Hook looked inside, while Lotte focused on the silent people, who barely moved at all. They only switched their positions when the shadows they were hiding in, changed and threatened to reveal them to the sun. The closer they had come to the market place, the less of them were to be seen in front of them. It seemed they were avoiding the market place and the reason behind that was more than obvious once you entered the place. It was burning hot here and there was nothing that could have offered even a little shadow.

"I don't understand", Hook suddenly said and caught Emma's attention, who had searched for someone who might want to talk with them.

"What's wrong?"

The pirate looked up to her, "I expected the dwell to be dry, but…", instead of finishing his sentence he nodded at it. Emma came closer and looked checked on it. The dwell was filled with clean water till the edge. It even shimmered in the sunlight that made its way through the damaged roof.

"Could it be salty like the water of the ocean", she asked wondering if the ocean's water had gotten into it somehow. This appeared to be the only explanation for an entire town refusing to drink for it.

Hook shook his head, "I don't think so. For that, it would have needed to flow up the coast and parts of the hill. Water never flows up but always down." He hesitated, "but we don't know where this water really is coming from. I'm afraid we won't know unless we try."

He dove his hand into the water, formed it to a bowl and drew water from it. He bow down to drink from it before it would escape through his fingers, as he was stopped all of a sudden, "don't!"

They exchanged a short glance while the water dropped from his hand unnoticed, then they checked on Lotte, who didn't even pay attention to them and searched the market place for the source of this word. There was nobody there.

"What's wrong", Lotte asked, as she noticed their reaction and walked back to them, "did I do something wrong?"

Emma turned around to her, "so you didn't say it?"

"No", she appeared to be just as confused as them, "who was that? Don't tell me it was a ghost."

Emma exchanged a disbelieving glance with Hook and was relieved to notice, that he didn't believe in this theory either. An idea popped up in her head and she came closer to the dwell.

"I'm so thirsty", she asked and dove both of her hands into the cold water to do what Hook had done before, "I really need to drink something."

"You must not", the voice said again followed by a strange sound she had heard somewhere before.

Emma stopped and looked to the side just to recognize the big and dark eyes of a toad that was sitting on the stony edge of the dwell and filled its puffy cheeks with air. It was green with several warts and very slimy.

Had it really just talked to them? Was that even possible? She had never heard of talking animals before not even in the Enchanted Forest where everything was possible. So was it possible? How had it done it? Would it do it again? Why did it care for this water so much? Was it the reason nobody drank from this water anymore? Was it the cause for all the pain here or did it prevent something worse? Did it try to save them and the water was the problem?

Lotte stepped closer to the toad and leaned down to take a closer look at it. She seemed to be fascinated. A smile appeared on her lips, "isn't it cute?"

Hook and Emma exchanged a surprised glance. It was obvious neither of them believed so, but they didn't comment that. Instead she focused on all the questions, which had come to her mind the moment the toad had warned her not to drink the water. Emma looked at Hook questioningly, "what do you think?"

As usual, he seemed to read her mind. Without even asking what she was referring to, he pulled Lotte back, who wanted to touch the toad and stared down on it, "I don't know. Sometimes things aren't what they seem."

"That's what I thought, too", Emma agreed silently and stepped back from the animal. She ignored the surprised expression with which Hook focused on her and distracted herself with the question how she should defend herself, if she didn't have any weapons she could use against a magical being that might attack them. So the farther the distance between her and the toad the better.

"Princess Lotte", the toad suddenly said and it was strange to see the movements of his cheeks and his mouth according to the words. It didn't seem to match but there was no doubt, that it belonged together. In between its words, a loud croaking escaped its neck, "don't you recognize me at my voice?"

Surprised and confused they stared at the princess whose face turned red. Lotte stared down on it just as surprised as them and rubbed her collarbone with her right hand.

"I'm so glad you made it out of your father's realm alive", the toad continued as she didn't answer. Then its tongue slipped out of its mouth quickly and caught a fly, "sorry."

"Ew", Lotte said. She frowned and thought about the reason behind the animal's knowledge about her. For a moment, there was nothing but silence, in which she stared at it, as if she could recognize something, that would give away, who it was and how it knew her. There hadn't been many people who had known about her trouble with her father after all.

Then she seemed to realize something. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at the toad in shock, "don't tell me you are Prince Kevin."

Hook and Emma exchanged a shocked glance and focused on the toad still suspicious. What if this animal would just pretend to be the prince now that she had mentioned his name? What if all this was nothing but a trick. Emma peered at Hook a second time and was relieved to notice that he was just as confused and suspicious as she was. His expression gave away just how unexpected all this was even for him even though he had lived for so many years.

"How shall we know that you are who you claim to be", he asked suspicious and proofed that he wasn't as simple minded as the princess, who treated the toad like an old friend.

The toad was silent for a long moment before it shifted its position, "Lotte, when I first met you, you told me about a man called Armand, who has never shown up again once he knew about your problems with your father." Then his glance turned into a glare as he focused on Hook and said jealously, "and you - Lord Sinclair - should take off your hands of the princess."

Hook frowned in disbelieve but let go of Lotte, who walked up to the toad and looked at Emma, "nobody was there when I told Kevin about Armand. He must be him."

Emma swallowed. She hadn't noticed a single lie in his words but ever since she had met Doris and had been irritated by Hook more and more she didn't rely on her ability blindly anymore. When it had been about Hook, she had always been insecure but lately she had started to question her ability to tell between truth and lie itself.

"How did this happen", she asked curious and fascinated at once. She wanted to hear more about it not just because she was curious but because she wanted to be certain about her judgment, "how did you get here in just four days and what is going on here?"

Emma felt Hook's stare but she avoided him and focused just on the toad. For certain, he was confused and surprised that she even considered this to be possible. She didn't want to be distracted by him.

The toad sighed, which was as strange as to see it talk or glare, "I met your friends outside the palace and asked them for a hook and suddenly they attacked me. I tried to convince them that you had sent me and that I wanted to help you, but they didn't listen."

Lotte glared at Hook reproachfully when she understood what was crystal clear to Emma. The word "hook" had been a signal to attack anyone who might have discovered their disguises and he had send Kevin into a trap.

"Soon the palace guards noticed us and tried to pull us apart. I don't know how but the carriage started to burn. Everything happened so fast. All I know is that one of your friends was hurt and when I escaped, King Klaus blockaded all exits to search for Lotte. I don't know what happened to your friends", the toad said in an apologetic voice and Emma still couldn't find a single lie in his words.

Hook clenched his teeth until is jaw seemed to be made of iron as he heard this and for a moment he didn't seem to listen to them anymore. Who had been hurt? Had it been the inexperienced and young Blake or the elder and strong Crouch? Had they made it back to the Jolly Roger alive? Had they reached the ship before it had started its cruise to pick them up somewhere?

"I rode through the forest and searched for you but I couldn't find you", Kevin continued his story, "and then I was noticed by King Klaus' soldiers and had to escape myself, because they attacked anybody they found. I assume they followed your father's orders, Lotte. However, I was very thirsty and arrived here two days ago. I was confused when I noticed such poverty in my realm and tried to find out, what was going on here. I was very thirsty and nobody warned me of the water in the dwell, so I drank from it."

He stopped and avoided their eyes or at least Emma had the impression that it was like that. It was hard to tell now that he was a toad.

Emma thought about his words and peeked at Hook. He had snapped out of his thoughts and focused on him again. Even though he was worried for his pirates, his expression and his posture told her, that he wasn't convinced yet. Nevertheless, Emma was by now, "what happened next?"

Kevin blinked a few times. Her question obviously had ripped him out of his thoughts. The longer he talked the more he seemed to sink back into them, as he answered her, "I felt dizzy and couldn't keep myself up. I remember that I grabbed the edge of the dwell, because I couldn't stand straight anymore. Then everything went black and when I woke up, I was swimming in the water and looked like this", he paused again and sighed. Just as if it had helped him to relax, he sounded completely normal, as he concluded, "I don't know how much time passed until I accepted my fade. I tried to find out more about the water but nobody would listen to me or answer me. Most of them screamed as they saw me, but the people here don't have the strength to run away or to hurt me, so one could say, I was lucky."

"Where does the water come from", Emma asked without even thinking about it. As she looked at Hook's surprised expression, she realized that she had just decided to help them. He obviously didn't like the idea of getting involved in this problem, especially not since he knew, that there was a traitor on his ship and that one of his pirates was hurt if not even dead. Emma didn't like the idea of losing more time and live with the incertitude but she just couldn't leave all this suffering people behind. They couldn't drink water, because they didn't want to be turned into animals, too and they couldn't leave because they were too weak and sick and didn't know where they should go. How could they leave them behind like this? Besides that, it would be the perfect opportunity to full fill the promise they had given to Doris. Once Kevin would be turned back into a human being, he would be able to take care of her and to help her.

"From the forest in the south", Kevin answered.

"That can't be", Hook said recognizing the direction as the way they had come from, "we drank from it and we didn't turn into toads."

"Since when haven't you drunk from it", the toad prince asked.

Hook, Emma and Lotte gave it a thought before Lotte answered, "about four hours ago. We left the river and walked into this direction."

"Right. I didn't want to pass the small mountain line with the princess", Hook explained as he remembered, "she was quite exhausted and I hoped to…", he hesitated because he didn't want to admit that he had planned to get rid of her somehow, "find somebody who would take care of her."

Lie! But Emma wouldn't point that out now. The way Lotte was looking at him, there was no need to anyway. Kevin was silent for a long moment in which he glared at him angrily, "then we should search there first."

"Can't you do that alone", Hook asked without hesitation, what appeared to be quite heartless, "it's your realm after all and you've got Lotte with you."

"And who should believe him like this", Lotte asked in disbelieve and pointed at the toad, "besides that, I'm certain my father is looking for me everywhere and without somebody who defends me, I'll be send back to him for sure."

Emma sighed and looked at the captain. It was as if they had a wordless conversation and she couldn't tell, if something like that had happened before. At least it was more intense than she could remember any wordless interaction with him before. It almost felt as if she could hear his words echoing in her mind even though he didn't say anything. It was crazy but it felt real.

She didn't say, that she wanted to help them and that they owed it to Doris after everything she had done to help them. And he didn't point out that Doris had helped them with the intention to help Lotte but not to help them and that they didn't have time to waste since one of his men was hurt and there was a traitor on his ship. However, he had known that somebody could be hurt, when he had come up with his plan to distract the King so they could escape and Doris intentions were meaningless but that she had helped them counted, which was what Emma didn't state against his arguments.

Hook sighed and rolled his eyes. It was obvious that he believed that they had done their duty by rescuing Lotte to this point and that their future depended on the Jolly Roger and his men.

Emma raised an eyebrow in disbelieve and glared at him. He perfectly understood that she would never agree with him. Lotte had gotten out of her castle and her father's realm but she wasn't save yet, which meant that she wasn't rescued yet and the Jolly Roger wasn't in as huge danger as he pretended it to be since Base was still there and the pirate would do anything to help them because he was loyal to his captain.

Hook sighed in frustration and Emma knew that she had won.

Lotte and Kevin didn't understand anything of their behavior. They just looked from one to the other noticing that something was going on. They stared at them and waited for their decision and just as Lotte asked for it, Emma noticed that she had gotten closer to the pirate. The princess was no longer standing between them but beside Emma and toad prince Kevin had completely disappeared from her few, which meant he was sitting on the dwell somewhere behind her now.

Hook snapped out of it first and stepped back to the dwell where he had stood before, when he had let go of Lotte. He didn't say anything but looked at her, as if he was asking her to tell them about their decision because he was still too angry about this.

Emma gave up and looked at Lotte, "do you know where to start?"

Lotte smiled and her eyes widened in excitement but something in Emma's expression stopped her from hugging her. Instead of that, she turned around to Kevin, who answered Emma's question, "there is a mine near the river. It has been closed a long time ago but for the past four months, I heard strange stories about it. My brother wanted to travel there to take care of it, but we never heard anything from him again."

"So now we are looking for a missing prince", Hook growled as he understood and walked up to the ocean to stare at it, "great."

As if it was anything new to them to search for a prince, Emma thought sarcastically and stared at his back. Now she was as angry with him, as her glance could have drilled holes into his back.

Lotte's smile vanished as her excitement turned into fear, "what does that mean? don't you want to help us? I thought you…"

"We will help you", Emma said over his loud snoring and walked up to him. She turned him around to her and the moment heir eyes met his worries almost slipped out of his mouth in a whisper, "we will lose too much time through this. Base could be knocked out or killed and then I'll lose my ship and my crew just because I'm not there. I can't risk that."

Emma took a deep breath and stepped even closer until he had no other choice but to look into her eyes. She was just slightly aware of their mixing breaths and the heat of his body that she could almost feel through his jacket that she was still wearing. She would have placed her hand on his chest, but she didn't want to leave the impression that she was trying to seduce him.

"Didn't you say your decisions in the past had been selfish and wrong because you didn't think of others", she whispered and knew that he focused only on her and not on his worries anymore now that she was so close to him, "didn't you say that this behavior had pulled you deeper and deeper until you turned into a bad person?"

"That's not fair", he growled and frowned, "I told you about this because I wanted to comfort you and not so you could use it against me."

"Maybe it is not fair", she said softly, "but life is not fair. This is your chance to change something and if you don't take it, I am not certain you will get another one."

"Are you asking me to do this for you", he asked and his eyes wandered down to her lips. But even though his glance was intense, she had the feeling that he was testing her, because he wanted to know if she was seducing him.

"I'm asking you to do this for yourself", Emma answered seriously and focused on his eyes that jumped up to stare back at her. For a moment, she simply waited, while his thoughts ran wild. However, nothing of them was revealed in her eyes, so she couldn't tell, what he was thinking. Nonetheless, she had an idea what was going on in his mind. Hook was torn between his wish to help himself as always and to help others even though it wouldn't be to his benefit. He was torn between his love for the Jolly Roger and Milah and his chance to become the man, Rumpelstiltskin's wife had fallen in love with all those years ago. Judging by what he had told her, Emma was certain that he secretly longed to recognize that person in his reflection again. Moreover, if she was honest, she wanted to see that side of him, too, now that he had told her about it. Still, she believed that it was already there, even though he couldn't see it.

Maybe he thought about something equal or maybe he just noticed her secret wish, anyhow he suddenly looked away and stepped back as if he wanted to bring some distance between them. It felt as if she suddenly was causing pressure on him and he needed space to think freely.

Emma stepped back, too. She didn't want to astound him by being too close to him. She wanted him to make this decision on his own. She knew what she would do regardless of that choice and she hoped he choose to help her with this even though his ship and his crew meant more to him, than she would ever understand. The problem was that this decision wasn't about helping Lotte and Kevin but about what he wanted his life to be like in the future and what he expected of himself. It wasn't as if he would really lose the Jolly Roger if they would need more time to get back to it, since they didn't know for certain that the traitor was after his ship. And Base was there to prevent the worst. It had been the reason for him to stay on board the night of the ball after all. The problem was the risk he would have to take.

As Hook turned to look at her, she already knew what his answer would be. She perfectly remembered what he had told her about challenges, so she understood what he had chosen. And she realized that he didn't just love challenges because of the goals he wanted to achieve through them, but because it was part of his character to love them. He wouldn't face obstacles because he had to but because he wanted to and because he was strong enough to do it. But did that make him more reliable or trustworthy?

Emma didn't know. She was afraid that just because she somehow wanted to trust him, she would miss what was going on and be betrayed by just like she had been betrayed by Neal before.

As she followed Hook back to the dwell, she barely noticed Lotte's surprised and somehow embarrassed reaction. She was too focused on her thoughts to think about. Her thoughts held her captured and she hardly avoided to think about Graham and how he would have reacted to Hook and her thoughts and feelings. He had always been reliable and she had been able to trust his judgment and to react according to it. After her time in prison, he had been her lighthouse that had directed her through human interactions like a ship through the dark ocean.

Graham had changed her. Because of him, she had opened up again, instead of blocking up and to distrust everybody. He had been close to her. Emma hadn't been paranoid to the extend that she had seen a traitor in every person she had met, but she had been impolite at times just to keep distance to others and she had never trusted anybody completely. Sure, she had had her ability, but Neal had proofed that it wasn't the cure to betrayal anyway.

Graham had been there for her and through his reaction she had understood, whom she could let closer and who not. He had shown her that it was necessary to take the risk to be hurt again, even though he had not managed to break her walls so somebody would ever be able to hurt her again. As Graham had died, something had changed again. She had thickened her walls of distrust with the fear to lose someone important to her.

Therefore, it was confusing that Hook was able to sneak past them unhindered, so she had to push him back and try to keep him out over and over again. It was even more confusing, since he off all people belonged to those who you couldn't trust. It was worse because she couldn't judge his words as she could others' and he had warned her himself when he had explained their differences and the way he made decisions several nights before.

Emma glanced at him as if the answer for her strange reaction to him was hidden in his movements, his hair or even the fake hand that he still used instead of his hook. Of course, there was nothing since she had to search for it inside herself. She was the reason. Somehow, she reacted to him and whatever it was, that made her do so, wasn't something she could see, it wasn't something physically but something that affected her on an emotional basis.

Hook noticed her glance and looked back at her as they followed Lotte, who carried Kevin the toad-prince back into the woods. His ocean blue eyes weren't of help at all. Maybe she had just bad taste in people and that was her problem in judgment. She swallowed hard as she concentrated on his eyes. Or maybe - and that was hard to admit - she had just very bad taste in men.

"What's wrong", Hook asked and just now Emma realized that they both had stopped, while Lotte distanced herself from them without even noticing it. Hook must have noticed something in her eyes that had him frozen on the spot but as soon as he had noticed it, it had vanished. Now he wasn't even certain anymore that he had really seen what he thought he had seen. His uncertainty was written all over his face.

"Nothing", Emma said and heard the strange sound in her voice. She decided to change the subject before he could question her more, "we should hurry or we lose Lotte and Kevin."

Emma walked past him and felt his glance in her back as if he would softly touch the spot between her shoulder-bones. She ignored it and was relieved as he finally walked up to her, so they followed Lotte and her toady friend side by side.


	16. The fence of red and white roses

15\. The fence of red and white roses

She had made it. She had saved Doris and had brought her to a nice place, where she could stay safe and sound. Now, Doris had a nice little house in the palace city of the neighbor realm but because Nova had no idea where Emma and Hook were taking Lotte, she hadn't been able to make certain, that the elder woman and the princess would be able to meet again.

Nova sighed and hurried back to follow Blue's pleas, who had already called for her again. It made her nervous that she couldn't search for Emma first but had to visit the Evil Queen's castle instead. Not even Blue wanted to go there so it had been up to her to check on Snow White and Charming.

As she arrived next to a huge tree in the middle of a yard, she felt awkward. The last fairy who had come here had been Green and she hadn't been too lucky with it.

Snow White was sitting on a bench underneath the big apple tree and stared at the fruits that had fallen to the ground. Her glance revealed just how disgusting they were in her eyes. She kicked one of them away with her right foot and watched it roll across the yard until it disappeared in the shadow of a bush that had been planted at the edge of the yard. She sighed and placed a hand upon her stomach as if it was very important to her.

Nova sensed that something was off and came closer to take a closer look at her face unnoticed. There were deep rings underneath her eyes and her cheeks were burning red just like her eyes. She had cried and something definitely was troubling her again.

Nova decided to change and became visible for her slowly, "what's wrong, Queen?"

Snow looked up in surprise and stared at her, because she hadn't noticed her arrival at all. As she noticed that she was a fairy, she relaxed, "aren't you Nova?"

Nova smiled, "yes. Do you want to tell me, what's troubling you beside your missing son?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Nova nodded and came a little closer now that she wouldn't scare her with her presence anymore.

"Have you heard anything new?"

"I'm sorry. I don't have any information for you", the fairy answered in an apologetic voice and felt uncomfortable. She would have loved to tell her something else. She would have loved to tell her that she hadn't hoped for nothing and that Henry was safe. She would have loved to tell her that he would be home again soon and that she wouldn't have to worry anymore. And she would have loved to tell her that she even knew where Emma was. But she couldn't. For the first information she didn't have any evidence and concerning Emma, she wasn't certain her theory was right yet.

"I see", Snow White said and looked at her belly again. For a moment they were silent. When she spoke up, her voice sounded carefully and hesitating, "say, do you know Grumpy well?"

Nova looked at her in surprise, "Grumpy?… Oh you mean Dreamy."

She looked up to her, "he was called Dreamy before?"

"Yes", she smiled as she remembered her friend from back then, "he was such a nice dwarf. He helped me when I dropped my fairy dust. I would have gotten in big trouble if it wouldn't have been for him."

"You liked him", Snow stated gently and the fairy stared at her in surprise. She felt her cheeks turn burning hot and felt as if she had been caught. The Queen noticed her embarrassed reaction, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to go too far. It's just, the last time I saw you two together, I noticed a completely new side on him. Have you known each other for long?"

"You could say so", Nova said shyly, "we haven't seen each other in a long time. How has he been the past years? Can you tell me?"

"He was a great friend to me", Snow White said, "he is loyal and even though he only shows his tough shell, he has a soft center. He is always there for me and I trust him blindly."

Nova smiled. That sounded just like the dwarf she had known except for the part about the shell. Just what had changed him so much? She couldn't imagine that it was her fault, could it be? He had pushed her away back then after all and not the other way around. She would have given up anything for him, but he had refused to take the risk to leave everything behind for her. He had given up on her and their dreams. So how could he have possibly changed like that because of her? No, she wasn't confident enough to believe that. And she didn't want to worry about it anymore. She was a fairy now and as such she had better things to do than to think of a past love. The Queen in front of her, was a very good example and reminder of what she really should care about now.

"Why are you sitting here", she asked to change the subject not just because she didn't want to be asked about Dreamy again but because she wanted to focus on her task and her destiny as fairy instead.

Snow looked down on her hands, "I'm worried. I had a fight with Regina about how we should search for my son. I know she has a point and even though I want to trust and believe that she is right about it, I can't help but feel, that we're not doing everything to find him."

"What do you mean?"

"Rumpelstiltskin", Snow White said and noticed Nova's surprised reaction, "I know, you fairies don't like the idea of asking for his help, too."

"How do you know", Nova asked surprised.

"Blue told me", she shrugged, "the thing is, I'm certain he would help us."

"Why?"

"Because of Belle", Snow said, "she was important for him, before Regina got in their way and she wants to get back to him. The problem is just, that he might attack Regina for locking up Belle all those years, so telling him about her to make a deal with him, might endanger Regina's life."

"And she doesn't want to risk her life", Nova concluded.

Snow White shook her head, "no, that's not it. She is scared that she might not be there to help Henry even though she might be needed. It's a risk that even I admit."

"So?"

"Ever since the curse hit, Rumpelstiltskin disappeared from our lives", Snow White explained, "he wasn't there to help us find Emma back then. He didn't show up, no matter what we tried and where we looked for him. But with Belle everything could be different. She likes Henry, too, so maybe he would help us this time."

Nova swallowed hard. It was difficult not to talk about Emma and even harder to cover up her thoughts, because Snow White was quite observant. She cleared her throat before she spoke up, "say, may I ask how your daughter disappeared back then? I don't know anything about it and ever since I was included into the search for your son, I've been wondering about Emma."

Snow White looked at her for a short moment in which she thought about it. At first Nova thought she had gone too far and asked the wrong question, but then the Queen looked away and sighed, "Emma was such a beautiful child. I remember exactly the first time I held her in my arms. You must know, Regina threatened to activate her curse just to hurt Charming and me and everyone else. So when I gave birth to Emma I was quite worried. We wanted to send her away to save her from the curse, but it took Regina longer than expected to handle the curse. Thanks to that I had time to read stories to her when she would be tired, to hold her in my arms, when she woke in the morning or fell asleep in the evening. I was able to see her first smile and to play with her. I loved her so much. I still do. And that was the problem. I should have send her away right away. Everything we had planned was ready. All we had to do was to put her into the magic tree and send her into a world where she would be safe and where she could save us as it had been told. However, I just couldn't bring myself to send her away all alone for neither of us could join her. I was selfish and thanks to that I had a very nice time with her.

But then one night everything changed. Blue had shown up to warn us, that Regina obviously had found a way to activate the curse. We hesitated to send Emma through the portal, because we didn't want to separate from each other. We were discussing it through. I remember that Charming insisted that I would go with her and he would endure the curse. Blue worsened everything as she reminded us, that only one person could use that portal and this person had to be Emma. We would need to send her away all alone, even though she was still a baby. And then we heard something from her chamber. I remember exactly how I followed Charming out of our room. He ran into a maid and her tray fell to the ground."

She stopped and stared at nothing special. She was lost in her thoughts and a single tear ran down her left cheek. Nova already believed that she wouldn't tell her anything more, but then she continued. Her voice sounded very distant and hurt, "when we arrived in her chamber, there was a man sitting on the balcony. I know that the moon was lightening him from the back, because I couldn't see his face. It was shadowed too much, as he looked at us in surprise. He held my little girl in his arms and jumped from the balcony."

Nova stared at her in disbelieve. For a moment she was speechless. She swallowed hard once more, then she tried to put her thoughts into the right words, "but how do you know that she-"

"That she survived", Snow asked and whipped away another tear, "in the yard there hadn't been even a single hint on the stranger nor on Emma when we ran down to look for them. They had just vanished. Later on we received a letter in which was written that she was save and healthy."

For a long moment they sat together in silence. Each of them followed their own thoughts. According to that story Emma really could be the princess. Just like everyone else. Nova sighed.

"I don't know what to do", Snow concluded and sighed, "and I'm pregnant again."

"Congratulations", Nova said enthusiastically but she was surprised as she noticed Snow White's strange reaction to it. She was unexpectedly serious and sad.

"Are you worried for your third child?"

"I think, if I'd just know where my children are now and that they are healthy and that they will come back to me, I'd be happier about it. Now I'm just torn between worrying for my missing children and worrying for my unborn child because I'm concerned so much. And I'm sick of doing nothing."

"Don't lose hope", Nova said encouraging, "you know that things aren't always what they are looking like. Your love is the best proof for that. I just can't believe that you made it through so many obstacles so you would grieve for the rest of your life, because you are destined to lose your children. I just must believe that you will get them back and everything will be alright again."

"I don't have the strength to be that confident all the time", she said sadly, "if I was able to do something, I might feel better, but there is nothing I can do, as long as we don't know where they are."

Nova's shoulders slumped, "I know I can't comfort you with that, but maybe it's not up to you to be strong now. Maybe it's up to your children to be strong and do something to get back to you."

Snow stared at her in surprise, but didn't say anything. Then she sighed and stood up, "I'm sorry, Nova. I have to talk with Regina. Thank you for your comfort."

The fairy watched her leave and sighed. She closed her eyes and searched for a hint on where Emma was. She took her time and forgot where she was and what was going on around her. She solely thought about Emma. She froze and frowned. She couldn't find her. That was strange. It had never happened before that she hadn't been able to find someone. Then she thought of Lotte. The princess hadn't been noticed by anybody until Emma had found her, because of the magic King Klaus had used to hide her and his evil intentions. Was she still in his realm? But in that case she had to be in trouble.

She vanished immediately to search for her.

* * *

They reached the Wilmore hills Kevin had been talking about earlier and searched the area in the south and west for the mines. As they didn't find anything they searched the north and the east the day after. The longer they couldn't find anything, the further they left the hills behind hoping they would find any hint or someone who could tell them anything about those mines. The best would have been if they would have found Kevin's brother but of course they didn't run into him.

Hook became nervous more and more because they wasted so much time and didn't achieve anything. He felt that his time was running out and the longer he stayed here the further away would be the Jolly Roger in the end. He was as worried as it was hard for him to go to sleep and leave the night shift to Emma, even though he was very exhausted and tired.

It was the third night since they had decided to help Kevin and Lotte, when Emma noticed something in the distance. It was a small light that shimmered through the thicket. After a short glance at Hook and the others, she decided to follow it. Morning was close. She could see the first sunrays at the sky where the night turned gray and then slightly red. It would be pointless to wake them since they would awake anyway very soon. It was more likely that she would waste time and that she would lose that light out of sight than to get them up in time to follow it or to track it down.

On her way along the river she shoved away branches with leaves and tried to be as silent as possible when she placed her feet on the forest's ground. Everywhere were little branches, dry leaves, stones and sometimes even a tree trunk from a fallen tree. The light grew farther across the sky and turned from red to yellow more and more.

Emma had to stop to orientate for a moment, because through the dawn she had lost the light out of sight. She became nervous and ran through the forest. To be silent suddenly wasn't important anymore. She followed the river hoping that she would find somebody or something that could help them.

The light, that she had noticed before, had followed the flow of the river, too, so there had to be somebody she could ask for help. Finally she reached a lake that was surrounded by bushes. It was silent except for the sound of croaking frogs that reached her ears from everywhere around. In the river there were swimming toads that hunted for their breakfast while the rising sun enlightened the crystal clear water. The scenery could have been peaceful if she hadn't been in such a hurry and if the fresh looking water that seemed to draw her attention as if it tried to seduce her, hadn't been poisoned.

Emma looked around hoping to find the source of the light that had caught her attention and that had led her to this place. At the same time she didn't believe she would be so lucky to find the person behind it. She sighed and gave up as the sun shone in its full-circle right above the treetops.

She turned her back on the lake and froze as she noticed somebody in the shadows of the trees. He was smaller than her and had a long gray beard. He was older than her. His cloths looked like those of a huntsman and from his belt hang a bag that was filled with something she couldn't define. On his back he carried a sack and in one of his hands he held a crossbow that he pointed at her.

She waited for him to say something since he was the one with a weapon while she had nothing to protect herself with. It was awful to stand in front of somebody who could easily kill her without a chance to defend herself.

Several minutes passed in which nothing happened before he slowly walked up to her as if she was as shy as the deer he had stowed in the sack on his back. She could see its hooves reaching out of it at his neck now that he came closer.

Emma had no idea what he was thinking. She didn't even know what she would think, if somebody dressed like her would appear in the middle of a forest like a sea nymph. The combination of trousers, Hook's jacket and the top of her ball gown definitely had to look strange.

"Who are you", the old man asked suspicious. His voice was rough and a little high. Something about him was strange. Emma felt as if she noticed a lie even though he hadn't stated anything that would allow such a judgment.

"Can you help me", Emma asked. She decided it would be better for her to appear innocent and helpless. The crossbow was still in his hand and she didn't know how good he was at shooting with it. He was still suspicious but the arrow in his crossbow sank from her chest to her legs. He let down his guard.

"What are you doing here?"

Emma cleared her throat and thought of Lotte, "I ran away from home and got lost in this forest. I can't tell you how glad I am to meet somebody."

The man put down the crossbow further and changed its position in front of his chest, "where are you coming from?"

She hesitated. "I'm from King Klaus' realm", she lied and hoped that it was convincing enough for him, "I tried to follow the river but it ended in this lake so now I'm lost again."

"King Klaus", he repeated thoughtful and focused on her strange clothes again.

"Are you a hunter", Emma asked as if she was naïve and couldn't tell apart a horse from a cow, hoping that it would be enough to distract him from her strange attire, "then you should be able to lead me out of here, right?"

"I don't have the time to take a little girl back to her home", he said and an evil gleam appeared in his eyes.

She had no idea if the direction her of assumption was right, but if she wasn't mistaken, he already had heard about Lotte and her father. She decided to step into his trap, "oh, please. I don't want to go back there. Please help me."

The huntsman grinned wickedly and satisfied at the same time and let go of the sack on his back. It landed on the ground behind him with a thud and it sounded as if something broke. Emma assumed it was the deer's bones. He didn't pay any attention to it but came closer to her, as if he was stalking her.

But then suddenly something changed about him.

He frowned and his eyes darkened. He stared at her angrily. Then several things happened at once. The hunter was furious as he yelled that she was a liar and raised his crossbow. At the same time she was hit by something from behind and fell to her hands and knees. But that wasn't enough. She was pushed to the ground until her stomach touched it and she realized that somebody was lying on top of her. Somebody breathed against her neck and as she dared to look up, she noticed that it was Hook.

"Bloody hell", the old man cursed just as Emma noticed that he hadn't shot at them yet.

Hook, who had been watching the hunter, slowly got back to his feet, before he helped her up. He was angry with her. She could tell just by being close to him just as if his body was sending out anger waves.

"Are you hurt", he growled and watched the old man working on his crossbow just in case he would suddenly make it and shoot at them.

"How did you know I was here", Emma asked surprised and looked at the stranger, too. His beard had been caught in the mechanism of the crossbow. It was no surprise he had cursed. It must have hurt badly when he had tried to shoot and pulled at his hair through it.

Hook glared at her, "I followed you. How can you be so reckless? You could have been killed."

"But I wasn't."

"Which was nothing but idiotic luck", he argued and pointed at the hunter, who still tried to free himself and yelled in pain, when he accidentally pulled at his hair.

"Even though you might not believe it, Hook. There isn't an insane hunter in every forest", she pointed out and stepped closer to the old man, who had just tried to kill her.

"But King Klaus' soldiers could have shown up", Hook insisted and followed her angrily, "or you could have been attacked by a furious wild boar. And we still don't know what is going on with the water or who poisoned it."

Emma didn't want to admit it, but he was right. She had acted irresponsibly and she was sure that if this little accident with his beard had not been, they would have been in big trouble now, if they wouldn't even have died by now.

"You have nothing to protect yourself with and you left Lotte and Kevin behind without knowing anything", he continued and pulled her around so she would finally look at him, "up to now I always thought you knew how to work in a team. But it appears you only know how to be responsible for your team."

She wanted to tell him, that they weren't a team and that both Kevin and Lotte had been save because he had been with them the entire time. She wanted to tell him that he had put them in danger himself, because he had left them to follow her and that she would have been fine without him. She wanted to tell him that she wouldn't die so easily and that she was perfectly able to protect herself. She wanted to remind him that she had perfectly worked in a team before, for example as she had saved his ass from King Frederic with Base and Smee. But things turned out differently.

As soon as she noticed his still worried expression she forgot what she had intended to say. She met his eyes and as she noticed the pure concern in them, she stumbled back from him and whispered almost automatically but honestly, "sorry."

Hook let out a breath and looked to the side as if he was hiding his emotions from her even though she had already read them in his eyes. He cleared his throat and turned his back on her trusting that she would take care of the old man, if he would try to strike again.

Emma didn't know what to do. She wasn't used to someone taking care of her anymore. That Graham had taken care of her had already been a very long time ago and even back then she hadn't known what to do. However, Hook was special in this matter, because she hadn't expected it from him and he was different from Graham. He made her feel different than Graham had done it. Graham had always been the close brother-like friend but Hook… she couldn't define what he was. They were a team but lately she had noticed that there was more and it wouldn't be right to simplify it by calling it friendship.

She felt strange now that he seemed to care about her so much. His reaction had come out of the blue and it had confused her so much, that she had apologized involuntarily. Now she was frozen.

"Can you help me", the old man suddenly plead as he finally gave up to try to free himself. His voice had completely changed and so had his expression. Now he looked like a poor innocent old man in trouble. He looked as if he couldn't even kill a fly and his voice wasn't rough anymore.

But he couldn't fool Emma with this. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited for more. The old man seemed to understand perfectly, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to shoot you."

"No?"

"I wanted to protect you from that man", he hurried to say and pointed at Hook, "I didn't know you know each other."

"You called me a liar."

"B-because I thought you had teamed up with him to attack me."

Emma frowned, "but just now you said that you wanted to protect me from him."

His face turned pale and he swallowed hard, "I was just careful. I can't even see your face, because the sun is so bright. How should I judge about you then?"

"So you decided to blindly shoot at me instead?"

"I wanted to protect myself. There wouldn't have been much time if you would have attacked me", he kept lying. He didn't even blush even though he knew that nothing he said made any sense at all. Never before had her special ability screamed "lie" that loudly as it did now. It was impressive, shocking and disgusting at the same time.

"Please, help me", he plead again, "my beautiful beard…."

Hook snorted and walked past her. He grabbed the crossbow and the man yelled in pain. As the pirate pulled out the paper knife he had taken along from King Klaus' castle, the man sweated and asked nervously, "what are you doing?"

And as Hook cut off the tip of his beard the second after, he cursed worse than ever before, pushed Hook away, who stumbled backwards against Emma, the crossbow fell to the ground and a shot dissolved. The arrow flew through the night and hit a tree right next to Emma, while the old man disappeared in a purple cloud.

"I knew he is a jerk", Emma said as Hook stood up and shoved off her hands softly. She had caught him earlier so he hadn't fallen to the ground. He turned around to her, stared at the arrow that stuck in the tree and focused on her angrily, "are you hurt?"

"No", she said and shook her head, "where did he go?"

"Who cares", he growled and picked up the crossbow that was lying on the forest ground, where the little wizard had dropped it, "he left us a present."

"He was quite vain, wasn't he", Emma picked up the bag he had dropped, too and searched through it, "but he left us something to eat and arrows."

"First of all he was very dangerous", he glared at her once again, before he headed back between the trees, "which brings us back to our earlier conversation."

Emma held her breath, "I told you, I am sorry."

"And it seems you have quite the talent to get into trouble", he stated ignoring her words. He was still angry.

She hurried after him, "look, I was wrong, okay? I get it. I don't know what else to do to make amends."

As she reached him, she noticed that even though his mouth was still turned into a thin line, his eyes weren't as filled with anger as before anymore. So the great Captain Hook who had been hunting for revenge for such a long time was able to forgive. She decided not to comment it, "so, do you think, he is the one who caused all this?"

Hook stopped and stared at the sack with the deer in Emma's arms, "I think so. Shall we really take it along?"

Emma looked from the bag into his eyes, suddenly realizing what he was thinking about. It was possible that this poor deer had been a person once before he had drunk from the cursed river. Her mouth went dry and she felt sick just thinking about it, "let's get the arrows out of it and leave it here. I don't want to accidentally eat a human not even if he is cursed to be an animal."

"Now it is a deer."

"But as soon as we break the spell on the water, it might turn back into a human just like Kevin. I don't want to commit cannibalism."

"You would never know."

"But I would always wonder about it."

Hook just hurried on.

"Do you want to eat it", she asked surprised and followed him.

He didn't answer but chuckled.

Emma stopped to leave the deer underneath a tree and ran up to him, because he hadn't stopped to wait for her, "by the way, where are Lotte and Kevin?"

"They told me about a hut close to the hills in the north. That's where we are heading now."

"A hut?"

"Yes. Kevin said it was close to an old mine", he shoved away a low branch and waited for her to pass by, before he let it slip back behind him.

* * *

Emma had no idea how it was possible that everyone knew about that hut except for her. At least Hook seemed to know the direction he had to look for it, because she would have never looked for it in the small valley between the hills. She wouldn't even have noticed the valley.

It was a nice little place where the sun wasn't stopped by the hills so it could easily reach it. Between the trees, surrounded by a waist-high hedge of roses with red and white flowers, was a small peasant cottage in a small meadow. The cottage was half-timbered with light brown wood, a white façade, red shutters and a roof made of black slate. A chimney reached beyond the roof at the wall they couldn't see and pushed bright smoke into the air.

Behind the hut the hills rose steep into the sky and onto the left side of it, there was a cherry tree, which already bore fruits. Next to it there was a very small tree. It looked strange and didn't have any leaves or fruits. Instead of that the bare branches reached into the sky as if it was already dead. Each time the wind blew there was a strange sound coming from it, just as if there were bells hanging from the branches.

Between the trees and the cottage there was a dwell with a small roof of black slate and next to it someone had placed a clothes line on two rods that stuck in the ground opposite to each other. The laundry swung softly in the breeze.

Hook and Emma waited for a moment, just in case somebody would show up in front of it, who wasn't familiar with them. The last thing they could need was, to run into somebody who definitely shouldn't notice them.

But there was nobody to be seen. The only thing that caught their attention was that whoever lived here, hadn't taken care of the cottage enough, since the paintings withered away and the hut in a whole didn't look as nice anymore as it might have been once. So whoever lived there weather didn't care about it or didn't have the abilities to take care of it.

They watched the hut for a moment just in case they would notice something, that would give away, if this was the right place. Nothing happened, so Hook gave the crossbow to Emma, "I'll knock at the door. If something's off, shoot."

"Shouldn't you take it with you?"

He held up his fake hand, "that's not my kind of weapon, Love. Besides that it's not very inspiring confidence to knock at someone's door and to greet him with a weapon."

Emma took it as he suddenly leaned closer, "I trust you."

Her mouth went dry and her hands became sweaty, "make sure not to get in my way, just in case…"

Hook grinned and left her alone. He used the bushes and trees as shields as far as possible, before he had to leave them behind and open the gate that was embedded into the rose fence. It was difficult to open it, because the roses entangled his arms each time he shoved them aside. It was painful when the thorns scrapped his skin in the process.

"May I help you", a young woman of about twenty years suddenly asked. She stood in the door of the cottage, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her hair was blonde and she was dressed in a green dress, that had a very big skirt. It didn't look like something an ordinary woman would wear in a forest like this even though it's style was supposed to leave that impression.

Hook swallowed. He hadn't even noticed that she had shown up there when he had been busy with those roses. He had been careless and stupid because from his position he shielded the woman from Emma and her crossbow. If she would attack him now, Emma wouldn't be able to help him just as she had warned him.

He stepped a little aside hoping the woman wouldn't notice, "I hope so. I'm searching for friends of mine."

"Here", the woman asked skeptically, "and who should that be?"

"A young and beautiful woman like you", he explained and smiled at her charmingly, "and - even though it's hard to believe - a toad."

She frowned, "a toad?"

"Aye", he answered and took another step aside, because the gate in the hedge was the only place Emma would be able to shoot through, "have you seen them?"

The woman looked over her shoulder into the cottage and smiled, "come on. Look at him or I won't be able to decide if he is friend or foe. My fence doesn't allow him inside…"

Hook frowned. Her fence did what? How could a fence possibly shut somebody out? Was she crazy? Maybe it would be better to get away from here as fast as possible.

He used the moment to step aside further, so Emma would be able to shoot at her or anybody who would come out now. At least he had to find out if the toad and the princess wee there or not. Maybe there was another cottage and they were there. Or maybe they had been trapped with this crazy woman and needed help once again.

Hook frowned and looked at the gate. He couldn't see any roses with thorns but only those without them, so why hurt his hand as if it had been scratched by thorns? And why could he remember that there had been roses in his way when he had tried to open it? Magic?

That was even worse than a crazy woman in a cabin in the middle of the woods. He had met witches and wizards enough to know that he didn't need to know another one.

"That's Sinclair", a familiar voice said and brought him back to reality. The toad sat in the door beside her, "it's no surprise your fence wouldn't let him in. He is not a good person after all."

"Thanks. I was good enough to come with you and to help you after all", Hook growled and searched for Lotte, since there was still the possibility that they had been wrong about the toad.

But his worries and suspicions were destroyed as the princess appeared in the door behind them, "where is Emma?"

Hook released a breath as the blonde woman already stopped beside him, the crossbow pointing to the ground. They exchanged a short glance. She was just as relieved as him.

"I'm here", she answered Lotte's question and walked up to them as if there was no problem at all with the gate. In fact it just opened for Emma, "who is she? And where did you get those clothes?"

"Her name is Gwen", the princess answered.

Just now Hook noticed that she had changed into a brown dress of a farmer's wife with a white apron that looked too expensive just like Gwen's attire. Her hair was bound up in a French plait.

"Gwen gave it to me. Isn't it nice", she asked and held up her skirt so they could see it better, "my father won't recognize me like this. I'm certain."

Emma sighed and walked up to them. She focused on Gwen as if she was still suspicious of her. Had he been the same when he had been suspicious of her and her intensions with his crew and his ship? He couldn't deny it, he had been glad as she had given up on her secrets, because he had been torn between distrust and his secret wish to trust her. It was strange, but even as he had considered a betrayal from her, he had enjoyed to be around her. He had found himself addicted to her as if she was a magnet that he couldn't escape from.

The entire time he had questioned her loyalty, he had wanted to talk about it with her. He had wanted to plan with her and to discuss their mission. And maybe he had even been a little jealous of Base, since she had seemed to be more open with him.

Just what was wrong with him? Even though he had known that Base was one of his most loyal men, he had questioned him because of Emma. That was strange. And still, if Emma was right then one of his men betrayed him. Maybe even Smee who was one of his closest men. He just couldn't believe it and he assumed that this was the real reason nobody had talked with him about it. But no matter what he believed, he would be more careful from now on.

Hook watched Emma, who still glared at the woman next to Lotte. If he really wanted to be more careful, he would have to question her explanations, too. She could have lied to him after all… But it wasn't part of his nature to distrust everyone right from the start. It was more like him to take a look and judge then.

He sighed.

It was difficult but he didn't have the energy to question both Emma and the minority of his men. If he wanted to achieve something, he had to trust someone and strangely one of his eldest mates had picked her over all the others they both had known for such a long time. The fact that Base, who had distrusted and maybe even hated her the most, had decided to trust her, was reason enough to do the same. Besides that, Emma would have had so many opportunities to kill him or to just get rid of him that it would be strange, if she hadn't done it even though she wanted to. She had proven herself for several times now.

"Do you live alone here", Emma asked and he snapped out of his thoughts. She stood right in front of the door and was face to face with Gwen. Something in her voice was strange. It was surprisingly strict and as his eyes wandered to the crossbow in her arms, he noticed that her grip on it was very tight.

The last time he had noticed something equal to this reaction, she had used Smee to shield herself and visit him in his cabin on the Jolly Roger, to talk with him. She had to distrust that beautiful lass just as much as she had distrusted him back then.

"Yes", Gwen answered after a short moment of silence. She had hesitated, as she had stepped back as if she needed more space between Emma and her.

"And how long have you been living here?"

"Why do you want to know that", she asked nervously and glanced at Lotte shortly. Then her eyes fell on the crossbow in Emma's hands and her face turned pale. With her bright blonde hair she looked like a dead body now.

Hook knew the answer to her question. Emma wanted to know if she would lie to them to decided if they really could trust her.

"I'm just curious. What takes a young woman like you into a never land like this forest", Emma asked again.

Gwen bit her bottom lip and looked at Lotte once more. She was searching for help but it was pointless. The princess obviously was just as clueless as her and he knew just too well that she wouldn't be able to stop Emma. Once she was searching for evidence on something, there was nothing that would stop her.

Gwen swallowed hard and looked around as if she was searching for help. Then she made a mistake. She lied, "I grew up here. I don't know why, but I never wanted to leave this place."

Even Hook could tell that it was a lie. There was something about her presence that almost yelled that she definitely didn't belong here. It was something that you couldn't describe but something that she had in common with Lotte. It was the fact that she never would make her hands dirty like an ordinary woman would do. She simply wasn't made for work but to look nice. With Gwen this was worse than with Lotte.

"Really", Emma said as skeptically as it had to be obvious that she didn't believe her even for Gwen, "so you live here all by yourself? Say, what did your parents do?"

Gwen looked at her puzzled. Her cheeks turned red and Hook was certain that she started to sweat. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath as her thoughts ran wild. Even Lotte seemed to notice it and tried to help her now, "but is that so important? I mean, she helped me. Isn't that all that counts?"

"If we want to know how somebody can live out here without turning into an animal even though she has to live from the poisoned water just like everyone else who turned into animals, it definitely is important", Emma said icy as she added, "especially if she lies right into my face."

"Don't tell me you accuse her of this", Lotte said surprised and in disbelieve. She stared at her, then she looked at Kevin as if she wanted him to tell her, that it wasn't true. But the toad didn't say anything. He just followed their conversation carefully as if he had thought the same as Emma.

Gwen looked as if she was about to cry now. Maybe it had been a little too much pressure. Even though he wanted to know the answer to Emma's question, too, he was certain that Gwen wasn't the one who had poisoned the river. Most likely it had been Emma's little friend from before. However, if they wanted to know their connection, it was necessary that Gwen wouldn't block against them. He decided to help her and walked up to her now that the strange gate was opened for him. He smiled charmingly, "let's calm down for now."

As he stopped besides Emma, he wrest the crossbow from her as gently as possible. Her grip was quite tight. Hook focused on Gwen and ignored Emma's angry and puzzled expression, "don't look so sad. It's just part of her nature to distrust people, Love."

"What?"

He ignored Emma and walked up to the stairs. On his way he dropped the crossbow beside the staircase and pulled at his collar, "I don't assume, you have something I could change into, do you?"

Gwen stared at him confused. Even though, she didn't seem to burst into tears every moment anymore, her cheeks were red and her eyes were big. She even held her breath as she stared at his shirt that he had opened like his vest would have been. His chest was revealed a little what made her nervous as it seemed.

Hook let go of his shirt and smiled amused, "is something wrong?"

"No", she answered a little too fast and looked up nto his eyes.

"So what is your answer", he asked after a second of silence, in which she knitted her hands.

"Ahm", she stuttered, "what was the question?"

Emma snorted loudly and he laughed, "do you have something I could change in?"

Gwen swallowed hard. She gave it a thought and relaxed a little now that she had a task. She frowned and looked at Emma who was right behind him. Something about her apparently scared Gwen, because she looked away immediately again. If he wasn't mistaken then Emma focused on the crossbow.

"So", he asked and smiled charmingly. His voice was deep just like women liked it.

Gwen smiled back as if she couldn't help it, but react to his charms, "I think I have something."

"You save my life."

"Maybe that's what I'm here for."

"How could it be different?"

Gwen chuckled, "why don't you come in?"

"I just waited for your invitation", he smiled and came closer while Lotte picked up the toad and looked at him confused.

"How do I deserve such good manners", Gwen adulated.

Now it was for him to chuckle, "well, a beauty like you deserves nothing less, Love."

"Thank you. Are you always a gentleman", she asked and stepped inside before him, because he let her go first.

Emma snorted even louder and grinned amused, "only in the right company."

"I think, I feel sick", Kevin said annoyed and looked at Emma, "is your brother always like this?"

Just now Hook realized that they hadn't told Kevin about their true identities yet. He still believed that they were siblings and that he wasn't a pirate captain but a mischievous and dirty lord.

Emma didn't answer.

The toad sighed, "at least I understand the rumors now."

"Ahm, Kevin, there is something I need to tell you", Lotte said slowly.

"Not now", Emma said deciding as she walked up the stairs behind him. She was upset but he couldn't tell if it was just about Gwen and her distrust towards her or him and his behavior, too.

"By any chance, could you give something to Emma, too", Hook asked as Gwen crossed the small room. Except for the holes this hut looked a little like Doris'. The entire hut was made of fire cone wood. To both sides of the door were windows. IN the middle of the room was a table big enough for six people. At the wall to the left there was a fireplace surrounded by the necessary subjects for cooking. On the other side was a chaise lounge and in the back was a huge bed and a wardrobe.

Gwen walked up to it and opened one of the two doors, "of course. But I'm afraid she'll have to get it from the line outside."

Emma looked over her shoulder and growled. There was just another dress. She needed a shirt, nothing more. Lotte noticed her reaction and walked to a corner in the hut, where she picked up a shirt, "can't she take this?"

Gwen stopped in her movements and frowned, "but that's not necessary. I have another dress."

Emma just walked up to the princess and took the shirt, "not necessary."

Gwen stared at her for a moment, before she gave the clothes to Hook. She hesitated before she offered her help. Emma refused and worked on the strings of the corsage in her back. It was effortless. So she reached for a knife that lied next to her on a cupboard. Lotte stopped her, "Gwen is great with stuff like this. You should have let her help you."

Emma rolled her eyes while Gwen shoved Hook out of the room.

* * *

They sat around the table and looked at each other. Kevin had insisted to have his own seat but as soon as he had accepted that he was too small to look across the desk, he had jumped on it. Gwen had placed a cup of water in front of each of them, but they hadn't touched it yet and Lotte had told their story from her perspective. Of course, Kevin had protested as soon as he had found out about their true identities. He refused to trust them and judged especially Hook to be very dangerous.

Emma sighed. That Lotte had revealed everything to their new friend Gwen, wasn't to her liking at all. She didn't believe that Gwen could be dangerous for them, but she didn't like to be lied to. Something was wrong with her especially since she obviously didn't have any problems with the poisoned water. While everyone of them was too careful to even sip at it, she had drunk her water completely and poured herself another jug.

She decided to find out more about her true identity even though the others wouldn't like it. For some strange reason she didn't like the way everyone treated her, so maybe that was why her interaction with her didn't turn out to be as polite and careful as it had been with Doris.

"Who are you really", Emma asked directly and ignored the others' reactions.

Gwen looked at her quite puzzled, so she added, "no matter what you say or do, you don't really belong here."

"Emma", Lotte said embarrassed and surprised.

"How do you know", Gwen asked silently and ignored the princess, who didn't like Emma's behavior at all.

"Well", Emma said without hesitation, "your hands are way too clean, which means you haven't ever worked hard outside. The same goes for the color of your skin. It should be burned at least a little if you've worked outside. For the hard work in a mine or something like that you are too weak and besides that as a woman you wouldn't be allowed to work there anyway. Your hands are neither cut or stitched so both cooking and sewing isn't an option. Otherwise, this house is a mess which means nobody has taken care of it for quite a while. So there are just two options to explain this. First you don't know how to take care of a place like this or second you turned in here just recently. However, who would chose to live in the middle of a forest all alone if he can't even protect himself in times like these? Besides that, you can't lie."

All of them stared at her. Just Hook relaxed and smiled as if he was proud, "you didn't even manage to clean your cloths properly, Darling."

"Wow", Gwen said impressed. She had swallowed hard and stared at her through wide eyes, "you're quite observant, aren't you?"

"Are you a maiden or a princess? Which one is it", Emma asked, because she believed those to be the only options. Gwen was quite experienced with corsages and she had many dresses, while ordinary people usually only had one or two. But what should a maiden or a princess be doing in the middle of a forest all alone?

Hook chuckled honestly, which was the first time ever since the ball, "don't be so bluntly, Love. Looks like she needs to catch up with us first. Maybe she doesn't even want to tell us."

"Like I'd care about what she wants", Emma stated and ignored Lotte's shocked expression.

Gwen stared at her in disbelieve but didn't find words to express her thoughts properly. You could almost see how she tried to decide what to do now. Her expression gave away just how caught she felt.

"She is not always like this", Hook explained politely and drank from his water, "she hadn't slept, is exhausted and maybe she is even hungry. At least I am."

Emma swallowed hard before she could growl and reveal just how angry she was him. Who did he think he was to apologize for her behavior? And why did he even interfere? What right did he have to talk for her? And why on earth did he treat this woman like someone he actually was interested in? What was going on here? Hadn't he said that he didn't want to waste time just two nights ago? Hadn't it been him, who had wanted to leave both Lotte and Kevin behind, because it would cost them too much time? So why would he care for Gwen so much all of a sudden?

And why did it anger her so much?

"I could fetch you something", Gwen offered and stood up. She obviously reached for his charms as a fly for light.

For some reason Emma couldn't understand herself, this angered her even more. Before she knew what she was actually doing the words were out, "do you even know how? We don't need to be poisoned."

"That was rude", Lotte scolded her and Kevin cleared his throat since he was the one who had been poisoned.

Gwen just shook her head in disbelieve and walked up to the cupboard of her small kitchen, "how is it even possible that someone who is as bold as you are, was dressed in such an expensive corsage?"

Hook chocked some of his water as he burst into laughter, but as soon as he noticed Emma's icy glare, he cleared his throat, "why don't you tell us about you? I'm really curious to hear your story now."

Gwen turned around to them and hesitated. As soon as she noticed everyone's expectations, she sighed, walked back to her chair and gave up. The food, which she had wanted to prepare, was completely forgotten.

Emma resisted the urge to remind her of it. She didn't want to ask for something that she had questioned so impolitely before. She still couldn't understand why she had even been so rude before. Reminding herself that this wasn't the first time she was hungry, she drank from her water. She would just endure it.

As she met Lotte's glance, they smiled at each other in silent agreement. It was nice to know that she wasn't the only one who was hungry.

"About five months ago my father decided that it would be more convenient to have me married to a royal. He wanted to get money out of it, but I didn't want to be sold, so I refused every proposal without considering possible consequences for our realm. I could have caused wars as impolite as I had been", Gwen stopped and turned red in embarrassment, "I'm not proud of it, don't get me wrong. I just wanted to choose someone myself and for different reasons. I ran away to search for such a person in pubs and met Elliot. He had been on a trip to inspect this forest. It had been a coincidence that we met at all. I was so relieved to find out that he hadn't come to meet me the princess as others had done on my fathers invitation before. It was such a nice evening."

Emma leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her stomach. She hadn't expected to hear another life story now. Why did it take her so long to tell them that she just followed a man to this place? And even more important: why on earth did Hook listen so carefully? What on earth did he want from her? What reason did he have to show so much interest in her? It couldn't be affection, could it?

"When I met him again in front of my father, he was introduced as a possible fiancé to me. I believed that he had lied to me the other night. I believed that Elliot only wanted to marry me because of money like all the others before", Gwen continued and her expression changed. Her voice was full of remorse and her eyes were filled with sorrow, "my father finally had enough and I was so broken hearted that I would have accepted anything. So he married me to a merchant to get rid of me."

"What", Lotte asked in disbelieve and stared at her.

"He took me here", Gwen said in a dreamy voice and the hint of a smile appeared on her lips, "he taught me how to cook and I guess he wanted to find out what had upset me so much. Soon after that I found out that the merchant was my Elliot."

Emma rolled her eyes. She wasn't interested in a love story, but simply wanted to know, what was going on here and how she was involved in it. Gwen had to have a role in it after all. At least she had to know what was going on with the river and why people turned into animals. And the way she had treated them at their arrival, she had to be scared of something.

As Emma met Hook's glance, he looked at her scolding. Since when was he interested in stories like that so much? Hadn't she had to convince him to help Lotte just a few days before? Why would he care for a story like this instead of their plans to help Lotte, part with her and Kevin and to get back to the Jolly Roger? Or was there more than she realized?

"And where is he", Kevin asked from his place on the table. It was impossible to read his expression but his voice sounded concerned.

Gwen's expression changed, "he left me from time to time and I don't know where he went. It wasn't hard in the beginning, but when Rose left and I wa all alone here, it was hard."

"Who is Rose", Emma asked and stopped to peel off something that stuck at her jug on the outside.

Gwen looked at her puzzled while the others secretly scolded her but Emma didn't care. Gwen seemed to notice that, "ose lived here when we came here. She took care of this place, planted the red roses and treated the little tree outside. When I arrived she added white roses to the red and when she left, she promised that nothing would happen to me, if I would be inside the rose fence."

Emma frowned and exchanged a short glance with Hook, who was just as interested in this as her, "is that why I couldn't pass through?"

Gwen shrugged, "when I'm in danger, the roses protect me and if it gets especially dangerous, the tree does the rest."

"Which tree", Emma asked.

Gwen hesitated. Obviously she didn't want to talk about it. Or at least she didn't want to talk about it with Emma. Instead she looked at her hands without saying a word.

Emma swallowed hard so she wouldn't snort and looked at Hook, who was a little too amused for her taste. She could easily imagine what he thought namely that she didn't deserve it any better. Maybe he was right but there was something about Gwen that she didn't like.

Maybe it was the fact that she couldn't take care of herself properly or that she had lied right into her face. Or maybe it was the fact that - and she didn't want to admit it - Hook seemed to be interested in her.

No. Not the latter.

"What happened after Rose had left, too", Lotte asked gently and broke the strange silence between them.

"Elliot didn't come back", Gwen said and sighed, "he always came back but not then. I waited for so long…" Her voice broke away and she sobbed.

Lotte stood up to comfort her as Kevin snorted. He mumbled something that nobody could understand but he was forgotten as soon as Gwen continued her story, "one day a strange little man appeared in front of my fence. He demanded that I would sell my hut and leave this place behind. When I refused, he tried to threaten me, but the roses kept him outside."

"What then", Hook asked with a soft and encouraging smile.

"After he vanished, there were strange incidents. Stones came down the hill but bounced off at my fence and in a wide circle in the sky", she explained, "but Elliot never came back. There was a bear that made it through the fence. It was hurt so I took care of it. Two days ago it left."

"Could it talk", Kevin asked curiously and Emma knew which direction his thoughts took. He wanted to know if the bear had been cursed like him.

"It never said anything", Gwen answered puzzled, "you are the first animal I've met, that is able to talk. I was quite shocked when I met you, to be honest."

Emma would have loved to repeat her question and to ask for more information about this Rose, but she knew Gwen wouldn't answer. She swallowed her questions and sighed as she leaned back in her chair and met Hook's glance. His thoughts luckily took the same direction as hers, "what kind of person is this Rose?"

Gwen frowned, "she is nice. She is as old as me but her hair are red and she dreamed of adventures." she stopped for a second, "she was such a kind person and every plant she touched blossomed right away."

"How long has she been gone now", Hook asked and glanced at Kevin shortly.

Gwen frowned for a moment in which she thought back, "something about a week or even two, I assume. I can't tell for sure, sorry."

"And the stranger showed up right after he disappeared", Emma asked before she even gave it a thought.

"Yes", Gwen answered albeit she was cramped.

"And did something change about the forest, too", Emma asked again, hoping she would answer again, "have there been more animals for example?"

Gwen was puzzled and annoyed. First she didn't see any connection to their questions before and second she didn't like Emma. Once again it was the other's interest that convinced her to answer anyway, as Emma realized through the way she glanced at them, "there have been more but I have never seen a connection to Rose."

Kevin sighed, "and you can't. Rose Red is a famous forest nymph or at least that's what she was called. I've never met her before but it was said that she protected this forest against the evil that could try to reach for the mines that have been closed for centuries now. I always believed it had been nothing more but a tale."

"What do you mean with "she protected"?"

"I don't know what's needed to be protected in here, but something must have happened if the river is poisoned now that she is gone."

"Why did she leave anyway", Lotte asked and frowned.

"I don't know", Gwen answered, "she seemed to be afraid of something, but she didn't want to tell me. All I know is, she gave me the advice to leave with Elliot as fast a possible, once he would be back. She acted strange ever since this eagle showed up."

"An eagle", Emma repeated confused, "what eagle?"

"She had found it in the forest. It had been hurt and she took care of it. But the longer it was with us the more she changed. She kept mentioning that it's eyes reminded her of a human", Gwen explained and frowned, "as if she was just as confused as Emma and the others, "she tried several mixtures on it as if she could turn it human if she would just find the right one. But it didn't work. She repeated that something was off and this wasn't right over and over again but I never thought she was talking to me or anyone else. She was talking to herself what wasn't like her at all."

"And when she left", Hook asked and leaned at the table between them. He was serious now. There was nothing of his charms left in his voice. Moreover, it was obvious that his thoughts were running wild.

Gwen gave it a thought, "she said that I shouldn't stay here with Elliot as she finally understood that I wouldn't join her to the next town. She told me to stay close to the tree outside and to treat it well, because it would treat me the way I would take care of it."

"Did she say where she wanted to go", Kevin asked curious.

"She said that she had to visit a friend of hers to ask for help and to warn her", Gwen shrugged, "but she didn't mention who or why. She took the eagle with her. I think, she hoped her friend could help her to break the curse or whatever had turned it into an eagle."

Kevin sighed and Lotte put her hands in front of her eyes and leaned at the table. Emma understood why. If a magical person as this Rose couldn't find a solution for this problem, then Kevin was screwed if he didn't find out where she went to find help.

"Oh, but she did achieve something", Gwen said as if she had almost forgotten about it, "when she left the eagle suddenly was able to talk. It's name was Daniel or something like that."

"Did you say Daniel", Kevin asked and hopped in front of her. It was hard to read his expression now that he was a frog but if she wasn't mistaken then she heard expectation or excitement in his voice. Emma looked at Gwen as well, so she noticed, that she nodded to answer him wordless.

"This Daniel could be my brother", Kevin said and turned around to Lotte, who seemed to be honestly happy for him.

"And what about the tree", Emma asked again even though she already knew she wouldn't receive an answer. Maybe she didn't deserve one but it was necessary to know everything. So she would ask over and over again until Gwen would finally answer.

The blonde crossed her arms in front of her chest like a stubborn child, "why should I tell you?"

"Because I am searching for a way to help Kevin and the people in the town at the coast. Didn't you want to escape to there once your prince in shining armor is back?"

Gwen narrowed her eyes angrily until she looked like an angry cat, "I highly doubt you could do anything about it, if even Rose couldn't. Besides that I could easily imagine you to worsen everything as polite as you are."

Emma opened her mouth to retort something but Hook stopped her before she could even imagine what she wanted to say. He placed his hand on hers and smiled at Gwen releasing all of his charms, "I'm sorry. I guess, Emma is a little nervous about all this."

Did he just apologize for her? Again? She kicked him but he ignored it even though it had to hurt. He winced back and squeezed her hand until it hurt. She pulled it back and snorted.

But as he continued, she listened up, "you must know, just this morning she ran into a hunter who wanted to kill us with the crossbow you noticed earlier. He vanished. So she is a little sensitive to lies and to strangers now."

Gwen softened a little but still refused to answer her question as it seemed. She frowned, "a hunter? Did he look elder and was strange?"

"Yes", Hook answered seriously and Emma had a feeling that this was exactly what he had been aiming for with this story, "do you know him?"

"He must have been the man, who had shown up in front of my fence to demand me to leave this place", she concluded, "he is the only elder person I have ever seen out here. He even had a problem with my tree."

"Did you ever see him after that one incident again", Emma asked hoping that this would be a moment to bond with her somehow.

"No", she answered as short and strict as possible. So, no. It wasn't such a moment.

"And what is this thing with the fence", Lotte asked what was helpful, because it stopped them from arguing again, "you mentioned it several times before, but I still don't get it."

Gwen grinned, "I don't know how it works but if I don't know someone and something is wrong with him, the roses stop him from entering. It knows if somebody is bad or not. If somebody wasn't allowed in like you", she smiled apologetic at Hook, "but I'm fine with it, the visitor is allowed through anyway."

Lotte looked at her hands and chose her words carefully, "you trust this fence blindly, don't you?"

"I do."

"And", she said very slowly, "you do remember that Hook wasn't allowed in, but Emma was even though she pointed that crossbow at you?"

Gwen didn't answer but swallowed hard. Emma couldn't blame her. She had been watching Hook, who had avoided her glance. Maybe because he was reminded of their conversation about being a good person and being a bad person and that he believed to be the latter. Hearing those words from the princess had been as unexpected as she hadn't been able to focus on the pirate anymore. She simply stared at Lotte of whom she wouldn't have expected this reaction and behavior.

"I don't know where Rose got it", Gwen sighed after a moment of silence and finally answered Emma's question. She even looked at her, "and I have no idea how it works or why or what kind of tree it is. All I know is that it's got magical powers and that it protects me, where the fence is useless like when those rocks came down the hill."

"And which one is it", Emma asked once more.

"The small one with the bells", Gwen answered even though she didn't seem to like talking about it, "but I don't get why it should be important to you."

"Because that, my dear Gwen, might be our chance to change something and catch that strange old man", Hook said all of a sudden. He was very enthusiastic but Emma wasn't convinced that their conversation about good and bad people wasn't lingering somewhere inside him anymore, "maybe he knows how to stop this animalistic curse of the river."

"What?"

"Gwen, he must be the one who caused this mess", Kevin explained, "and I'm certain my brother was the one who found him."

"So you mean he was turned into an eagle because he found him", Lotte asked and Gwen gasped as she understood their way of thinking. Lotte ignored her, "do you think he drank from the river like you? Or did that man… you know… does he have magical powers and turned him directly?"

"He does have such powers", Emma answered and exchanged a short glance with Hook, "or at least does the man we saw this morning. He vanished right in front of us. If he dislikes that tree so much, we could use it against him."

"But the tree must stay here", Gwen insisted, "it protects this place and it needs to be treated well."

"Maybe we even could find out about Elliot. Don't you think that's worth it", Hook asked gently while Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She wouldn't listen to Gwen's decision anyway. The woman needed to take a risk because she wanted to once in her live. She needed to grow up and take her life into her own hands.

"First we should find out where he is", Lotte pointed out and sounded worried. However, Emma wasn't certain the princess was concerned only about the wizard but her reaction. Maybe she was afraid they would start to argue once more.

"Even a wizard has got to sleep, doesn't he", she continued unaware of Emma's thoughts.

"Sounds like a plan", Kevin said and looked at Hook and Emma.

"He hides in the old mine", Gwen answered and they stared at her. She shrugged and answered their unspoken question, "Rose said, that the river's fountain was there, therefore, if he put something in it and everybody drinking from it turned into an animal through that, he must be there."

"He could have poisoned it somewhere else along the river", Hook thought about it aloud.

"Possible", Emma admitted and crossed her arms on the desk in front of her, "but an old and dead mine is a perfect hiding place. Gwen is right. Nobody would expect him to be there. Actually there wouldn't be anybody who would be expected to be there."

"It sounds plausible to me", Kevin agreed, "besides that, my brother wanted to head there, too. Do you know the entrance?"

"No", Gwen admitted and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "I'm afraid you have to find the answer yourselves."

"But you can't stay here if we take the tree to find him", Lotte pointed out worried for her, "you might be hurt or turned into an animal, too."

Gwen looked at her lap and her cheeks turned red. She was about to cry, "but I have to wait for Elliot. He will come back here and then I must be there. I'm sorry."

Now Emma realized what was her problem with Gwen. She was a damsel in need. A girl who didn't know how to help herself and was to afraid to protect those she cared for. She was the typical woman of old stories. She perfectly matched to the role of a woman that was asked for by the society. She simply stayed inactive and preferred to hide and wait for her rescuer. The problem was just that her prince in shining armor was missing so she was all by herself and needed to help herself. If he didn't even need to be rescued himself. It was a devil's circle.

"If you won't help us, there might be nothing he could return to", Hook pointed out seriously and objectively, "who knows? Perhaps he has been turned into an animal, too."

Gwen turned pale and she bit her bottom lip until it had to bleed while her eyes filled with tears, "that would be awful."

"Why do we even ask for that tree", Emma mumbled angrily and looked aside. She didn't need to see their faces to know that they were angry or shocked or even both to hear that. No sooner the words were out, she already regretted them. It wasn't like her to be so cold and mean. However, a part of her didn't feel sorry. They were wasting time.

"We could search for the entrance without the tree first", Lotte said into the awkward silence and tried to keep peace between them.

"And how shall we find him", Kevin asked.

Emma ignored them both, "seriously, why shouldn't we just take it with us?" Maybe she wanted to argue with her. Perhaps an argument would clear Gwen's mind and make her realize how wrong she was about this. Maybe it would finally wake her up and make her do something.

Hook cleared his throat before Gwen could answer, "the question should be why should we help her? We already have enough problems even without looking for Elliot. Do I need to remind you that we need to find a save place for Lotte?"

Kevin who he had focused on, stared at him.

"But what about Kevin", Lotte asked shocked while Gwen followed their conversation nervously.

"To break that curse we would need this Rose and not the old man", Hook stated, "running to the culprit is not how solving things like this is done. She was the one who at least managed to help the cursed bird a little. And even she wasn't able to free him. Therefore, we should search for someone more powerful than her to help him."

Emma didn't understand his change of mind even though she agreed with him. Had she felt as if their roles had been reversed, she questioned her own reaction more than ever now. She started to sound like a thief again and the question was why. What had changed that she got out that side of her? Was it just her hatred for the role Gwen accepted to play so willingly or had Hook gotten as much influence on her as she started to think and act like him? Actually she just wanted to get away from here. She wasn't scared or at least not as much as she had been as they had fought Cora, but her instincts told her to get away from here fast. She had felt something strange in the entire forest and the closer they had gotten to the river, the stronger it had become. But the worst had been this place at the foot of the small mountain behind them. She felt sick here and she hated that feeling. It tasted of danger and death. It wasn't good.

"You would leave Elliot and me behind like this?"

"No", Lotte yelled in shock.

"Of course", Emma answered merciless, "and you shouldn't wait here longer to wait for him, too."

"What?"

Emma sighed, "it's up to you. But it's not a good sign if someone who is more powerful and experienced than you, escapes and advices you to do the same."

Gwen stared at her. She could see the fear in her eyes and for a moment she expected her to agree, pack her things and run as fast and as far as her thin weak legs could carry her. At least she would expect nothing less from a foolish little girl like her.

Nevertheless, Gwen surprised her. Stubbornness appeared in her eyes and covered most of her fear, "I can't leave. I have to wait for Elliot. What if he comes back and I'm not here? I can't give up on him."

"Then imagine his reaction if he finds you dead here, because you waited for him all the time. That is if he'll ever come back, of course", Emma retorted.

Gwen looked at her breathlessly, but she was stubborn nevertheless.

Hook sighed and stood up, "well, good luck then."

"What", Lotte asked and got up herself, "how can you just leave her behind?"

"It's her choice", Hook answered cold heartedly but Emma had to agree. They couldn't help everyone, especially not if they didn't want to cooperate with them. Besides that time was sumptuously, because both Regina and the traitor on board the Jolly Roger were sitting in their neck. They just couldn't afford to waste more of it than they already had. The missing child was more important than a foolish girl who chose to stay in danger against better advice.

"Don't you help those who need you?"

Hook stopped and looked over his shoulder, "I'm afraid, you misunderstood something here, princess. I'm a pirate not a saint or a knight."

"But you helped me."

"And I got something in return."

"What do I need to do to make you help me", Gwen suddenly asked and jumped up.

As Emma reached Hook and noticed his expression, she froze. There was a grin of satisfaction. This wasn't good. This meant trouble. This meant that they would stay longer and she would have to endure this strange feeling. She would have to act against her instincts even though she had learned to trust them blindly.

Hook turned around slowly and pointed at a blanket that was placed on her bed. It was banner, in which a large sing was woven that adorned an eagle and a ship, over which shone a crown.

"Is that your fathers banner or is it Elliot's", Hook asked.

Gwen looked at the blanket just as confused as the others before she focused on Hook, "it's Elliot's."

"If we help you to defeat that old wizard, you guarantee us a save trip through the realm this banner belongs to. I want you to write that down", he demanded to Emma's surprise, "further, you get us some horses to travel."

"That's disgusting", Lotte said and stared at them with an expression as if she had a bad taste in her mouth, "you take advantage of somebody who is in need."

Hook sighed, "well, I'm in need, too and so are you. I'd call it helping each other."

"What do you even need save passage for", Kevin asked suspicious.

Hook shrugged, "I'm a pirate."

Emma snorted and walked up to a window. She stared at the strange tree outside and ignored Hook even though she noticed his intense glance. She knew what he wanted even without seeing it. He wanted her to play along and to stay silent. Well, she would do it for now, but there was no way she wouldn't tell him what she thought later. At least she finally understood why he had been so charming before. It had been an act so he could play Gwen if necessary. The naïve girl was totally clueless. Emma almost felt sorry for her. She had been blinded and she had judged Emma while she hadn't even realized that Hook was much worse than her. At least she had been honest to her.

"What do you need it for", Gwen asked just as suspicious as Kevin before, "I need to know or I can't promise you anything."

"I love to travel but I'm not welcome everywhere", Hook answered without revealing anything, "why don't you just focus on your own goals?"

"I can't. I'm a princess and as such I have to think of my people first", she stated, "and I have to remind you that my word will be useless if you can't find Elliot."

Emma snorted.

"Emma", Lotte asked surprised, "do you have a problem with her condition?"

She turned around to them, "of course, I have. He could be everywhere after all. She's got nothing she can promise to us."

Hook glared at her angrily. Of course, he hadn't wanted her to say something like this but she knew if she wouldn't interfere now, they'd end up in a lot of trouble.

Gwen hesitated, "I know where he is."

"What", Lotte asked and walked up to her enthusiastically, "but that is great. Where?"

She swallowed and Emma had a really bad feeling about this even before she answered, "he is stuck in the old mine."

"How do you know that", Emma asked immediately, "didn't you say that you didn't know where he was?"

Again, she swallowed hard before she stuttered, "well, at least I expect him to be there."

"Why?"

"Because of the bear that showed up here several times."

"A bear", Lotte asked skeptically.

"I can't explain it, I'm afraid", she said slowly, "it's just… I looked into the bear's eyes and I just knew it was him. I felt it with every fiber of my body and the hedge would have let him through, too. But then he stopped to come and the old man told me that he was gone. He told me that I was all alone now. But I know Elliot wouldn't just leave me behind like this. And I feel that he is still alive."

"Sorry, but that's not enough for me", Emma stated unimpressed.

"We could catch two flies at once", Kevin pointed out, "both, the solution for my problem and Elliot could be at the same place."

Emma didn't answer but gritted her teeth. She had crossed her arms in front of her chest and her fingers bored into her arms in anger. This was not good. She didn't like it and she definitely didn't agree with Kevin. It wasn't enough to rely on a simple feeling to risk her life, especially if it wasn't her own intuition and if named feeling might be nothing more than wishful thinking of a love sick fool who hadn't understood that she had been dumped yet.

"What do you want us to do", Hook asked after one last angry glance, "in exchange for the horses and the save passage of course."

"I want you to find the fountain inside the mine and to defeat the old man", Gwen said slowly, "Elliot has got to be there."

Emma almost laughed for what she earned another glare by Hook. He cleared his throat and looked at the others, "could you give us a moment, please?"

Gwen looked from Emma to Hook and frowned. She had no idea what she saw but she didn't say anything and left. Maybe she finally understood their dynamic. Or maybe her intuition, if she had something like that at all, warned her that an argument was coming. At least that was, what Emma noticed and she wouldn't have needed to hear the angry sound in Hook's plea nor the strange way he looked at her. She was ready.

"Do we need to go, too", Lotte asked confused but Hook didn't answer, which was answer enough. He just glared at Emma and waited for them to leave, too. Emma glared back, while Lotte picked up Kevin and hesitated. Before she walked up to the door, she seemed to wonder if she should stay and protect one of them. The problem was, she didn't seem to know who would need her help. Her eyes wandered from one to the other back, "well, I'll be outside then."

They shut the door and through a window Emma watched them walking up to Gwen who took the dry laundry from the line.


End file.
